Movies and travel marketing
One of my favorite travel rituals is reading the International Herald Tribune. The other day I was flying home from Lisbon when I saw a story about how the travel industry is trying new approaches to get people to travel again. One approach is a 90 minute “movie” called “Caymen Went.” Produced by an advertising agency with the support of the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism, the film is apparently a promotional video wrapped in a loose story line.  The movie opened in three cities earlier this month to little fanfare and will be available on DVD this fall, with the hopes of stirring up interest for the winter travel season. While the idea of making a movie purely as an advertising vehicle struck me as a bit of a stretch, it did get me thinking about the role of actual movies in tourism. I lived in Salzburg, Austria and can tell you that its single biggest ambassador to America–beyond Mozart, beyond the Alps–is “The Sound of Music.” From Fellini’s films about Italy to Woody Allen’s love songs to Manhattan, movies sell places. Has a movie ever inspired you to go somewhere? Â


Kerri Westenberg has globe-trotted for National Geographic and other magazines. Now she zips around the region, on the lookout for travel news you can use.
Elizabeth Larsen lived in Salzburg, Austria, and has traveled throughout Europe and the Americas. She can say "diaper," "bottle" and "crib" in four languages.
Troy Melhus has heli-skied on glaciers, dived alongside Monk seals and raced for 24 hours on a mountain bike. All this, and he rarely spends more than $500 on a trip.