Vietnam's famous landmarks changed by movies

Phu Yen - the land of "yellow flowers on green grass" - is the latest example of tourism success in which cinema plays an important role in promotion.

I have been to Phu Yen 3 times, all before the appearance of the film I See Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass by director Victor Vu. Although the tourist attractions have been highly praised by the press: Ganh Da Dia, Bai Mon - Mui Dien, Mang Lang stone church, Nhan Tower..., all places are deserted and deserted. Only on holidays and Tet do visitors come here in larger numbers than usual. But if compared to the potential and advantages that Phu Yen has, perhaps the number of visitors is not commensurate.

Bai Mon - Mui Dien in Phu Yen. Photo: Le Minh.

However, during the recent Binh Than Tet holiday, my friend from Phu Yen happily showed off that this place was unusually crowded with tourists. The beach in Tuy Hoa city welcomes thousands of visitors every day to swim and have fun. The once peaceful and gentle Phu Yen has become bustling and vibrant, making the people here feel more excited and joyful.

At famous tourist destinations, there are also more visitors than usual. Ganh Da Dia and Mui Dien now have entrance fee collection services. Everywhere in Phu Yen, people hang signs "filming location of the movie I see yellow flowers on green grass" as a simple but effective way to invite and market tourism. Many friends in our backpacking group planned the first trip, the destination will be Tuy Hoa and many other places in Phu Yen.

With such successes, many people say to themselves, after many years of tourism promotion that was not as effective as expected, with just one film, Phu Yen tourism has now changed its life, becoming one of the must-see destinations in the journey to explore the S-shaped strip of land for domestic and foreign travel enthusiasts.

In the past, a series of famous landmarks in Vietnam have had significant positive impacts from cinema.

Another Vietnamese tourism phenomenon in 2015 was Phong Nha - Ke Bang (Quang Binh), especially Son Doong Cave and En Cave. In addition to appearing in the Good Morning America program broadcast on ABC (USA), Son Doong also appeared in the Son Doong Concerto project of VTV. More specifically, when the movie Peter Pan was released at the end of 2015, En Cave with its sparkling scenes in the movie was highly praised. Son Doong and other beautiful caves in Quang Binh are now always present in the top destinations voted by travel websites and leading international organizations.

En Cave in Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park was chosen as the setting for the movie Peter Pan. Photo: Loca.vn.

Hoi An - a world cultural heritage recognized since 1999 - is very attractive to tourists, especially foreign tourists. That is also the reason why a series of domestic filmmakers choose this as a destination for filming scenes that are both ancient, quiet and rich in tradition. These include Hoai Pho (Ngo Thanh Van - Cuong Ngo), Scandal: The Return of the Glory (Victor Vu), and before that, Heroic Blood (Charlie Nguyen). The audience did not hesitate to praise Hoi An with its familiar small corners and alleys or sparkling in the night of flower lanterns, which became bright on film. Although it is difficult to accurately measure the effectiveness of films on Hoi An tourism as in the case of Phu Yen, it cannot be denied that films are still an effective form of promotion.

Trang An Scenic Area, Ninh Binh is also a typical example of the successful marriage between cinema and tourism. This famous place with beautiful landscapes, Bai Dinh Pagoda which holds many Asian records, and a system of beautiful caves... has become a favorite destination for travel enthusiasts. But it was not until 2012, when the movie Thien Menh Anh Hung (directed by Victor Vu) was released on the big screen, that many people were surprised. If we consider the timing, at that time, the PR was not as rampant as it is today and many people did not even know that the movie was filmed in Trang An, Ninh Binh and many neighboring locations. However, now that the story of combining cinema and tourism has become a hot topic, Ninh Binh is truly an attractive destination.

When the Hollywood film crew Kong: Skull Island (also known as Titan) filmed scenes in Ninh Binh in February, this location promises to continue to be a hot destination in the near future.

Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex - Ninh Binh. Photo: Hoang Anh - Manh Thang.

One case that shows the strong impact of movies on tourism is Pao's Story in 2004, set in Ha Giang. The house where Ms. Pao lived in the movie has now become a tourist destination that anyone who comes to this "blooming stone" land visits. This is perhaps a typical case of the so-called "natural fragrance" when this place was not promoted for a long time, but mainly through word of mouth of people who love to travel. In Vietnam, a series of places such as Ha Long Bay, Cham Island, Hanoi's Old Quarter, the Mekong Delta... have also had positive changes after many film projects were made.

The marriage between tourism and cinema also has its limitations that need to be recognized. Typically, in Phu Yen, the sudden increase in the number of visitors also brought many consequences. During the recent Tet holiday, a television report reflected the problem of littering on the beaches here.

When destinations become popular, the accompanying services are not commensurate with each other, which is also a difficult problem. Tourism development is not a trend or a temporary phenomenon, but requires long-term strategic planning and calculation to exploit and protect these resources in a reasonable and effective manner.

According to zing.vn