A Stakeholders Perspective: A Stakeholders Perspective: The Impacts of Television The Impacts of Television

Induced Tourism in Induced Tourism in Yorkshire, U.K.Yorkshire, U.K.

Ms. Noëlle O’Connor, Ms. Noëlle O’Connor, Limerick Institute of Limerick Institute of Technology, Ireland.Technology, Ireland.

Dr. Sheila Flanagan, Dublin Institute of Dr. Sheila Flanagan, Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland.Technology, Ireland.

Professor David Gilbert, University of Surrey, U.K.Professor David Gilbert, University of Surrey, U.K.

Introduction

• Overall research project working title; The importance of destination branding in television induced tourism locations that have become popular tourist destinations as a result of their featuring in a popular movie or television series.

• Hypothesis is that television induced tourism has a significant impact on the development of a destination.

• Case study - Yorkshire region in the North of England.

Britain’s Movie Industry

Famous British TV Series’

Background’tourist visits to a destination or attraction as a result of the destination being featured on television,’ (Grihault, 2003, 3).

• People reading less - movies, videos and television becoming more important

• To date 20% visitors come (U.K.) due to television and movie exposure

• Minimal use of such tourism within destination marketing strategies

• Yorkshire’s tourism has been influenced by popular television series’

• Fictional television series’ have the advantage of repeat viewing; • UK

• Emmerdale & The Yorkshire Dales• Monarch of the Glen and Scotland Busby & Klug, 2001).

• Australia• Sea Change and Barwons Bay (Beeton, 2005)

• USA• Sex and the City and New York.• Lost and Hawaii (Benzine, 2005)

• ).

Negative Impacts Of Television Induced Tourism

• Lack of preparedness by locals in coping with tourist influx• O’Connor (2000) and Ballykissangel • O’Connor, Flanagan and Russell, (2005); Mordue (2001) and

Yorkshire

• Destination image alteration • Beeton (2001) and Los Angeles/Boyz in the Hood

• Not recognising the pulling power of a film• Riley and Van Doren (1992) and Mississippi Burning.

Positive Impacts Of Television Induced Tourism

• Destination image alteration• Riley and Van Doren (1998) and Dallas • Chambers (1989) and Miami Vice

• Government support• Public and private agencies - capitalisation (‘Herriot /

Heartbeat Countries’). • Long term impact of movie induced tourism on a destination

• Deliverance (Georgia, USA) - raft and adventure tourism industry.

• Dances with Wolves (Historic Fort Hayes) - increase of 25% in 1990-91

• The use of imagery in the media• In the U.K., castles, abbeys and stately homes are enjoying a

tourist boom - Hamlet, Sense and Sensibility and Mrs Brown (Corlett, 1998).

• The economic impact of movie induced tourism• An economic impact study of the effect of the film Rob Roy

identified a STG£7m revenue injection into the region (Ross, 2003).

• Braveheart brought STG£100m in revenue to Stirling (Hydra Associates, 1997)

Methodology

• Strategic conversations were carried out in July and August 2006, with 30 of the key tourism and film stakeholders in Yorkshire and the UK.

• All respondents had extensive and specialist knowledge of the specific matters pertaining to Yorkshire’s tourism industry/U.K. film industry.

• Face to face interviews were deemed appropriate as it provided the opportunity to strike a rapport with interviewees’.

• This enabled the researcher to explore the relevant issues identified by the literature and previous research (2003).

• It was helpful that the researcher is not from or living in Yorkshire, therefore any possible interviewer bias was minimised.

Empirical Research

Issue 1: The authenticity of the destinations tourism product • Tourists want to experience the authenticity of Yorkshires’ tourism

product (Morton, 2006; Coates, 2006; Rhodes, 2006, Barker, 2006, Dodd, 2006).

• Film tourists can be attracted to an area not only through ‘positive’ images but also through the narrative and characters of the film/television that makes them want to see where the characters’ ‘live’ and where the story is set (Elliott, 2006).

• Yorkshire is now trying to present a more modern (Rowe-Marshall, 2006).

Issue 2: The importance of tourism to the wider development of the Yorkshire region

• Yorkshire based television series’ have increased visitors numbers to Yorkshire (Dodd, 2006; Fernandez-Young, 2006; Guffogg, 2006; Kibblewhite, 2006 and Rhodes, 2006.

• Goathland has had an increase in their tourist numbers from 200,000 tourists annually when Heartbeat begun in 1991 to 1.5 million since (Breakell, 2006).

• The newly developed television series The Royal has the same potential (Breakell, 2006).

• There are few measures in place to evaluate these impacts (Inze, 2006).

Empirical ResearchIssue 3: The television induced tourism phenomenon• The quickest way of selling a place is by being in a film

(Edgington, 2006). • The number of pure television induced devotees is very

small (Fernandez-Young, 2006). • The multiplier effect continues - the growth of DVD’s this

and the cinema reinvention (Dickins, 2006). • Television induced tourism is a great way to capitalise on

the positive portrayal of destinations on the screen (Clewley, 2006).

Issue 4: The influence of television programmes• TV programmes appeal because of their localness, longevity

(Morton, 2006) and their books (James Herriot) (Dodd, 2006).

• An audience will have a greater exposure through weekly viewing of a television programme (Elliot, 2006; Guffogg, 2006 and Inze, 2006).

• Tempest (2006) maintained that the Last of the Summer Wine is charming and uses its location well. All Creatures Great and Small is another great example of TV longevity.

Empirical ResearchIssue 5: The importance of movies, videos and television • There are many ways of seeing an image; film, television, internet,

posters, mobile phones and print (Rhodes, 2006). • The marketing efforts undertaken with the intent of profiting from

television induced tourism is well supported by the stakeholders (Elliott, 2006; Fernandez-Young, 2006; Smyth, 2006).

• Movies, videos can portray a more realistic visual portrayal of a destination than literature (Clewley, 2006).

• If books tie in with a movie, they become even more successful - Master and Commander, Dickens and Bleak House novels.

• The strongest international products for Yorkshire are the Brontë and Herriot books connection (Wragge, 2006; Morton, 2006).

Empirical ResearchIssue 6: Television induced tourism can add significant benefits to

the development of a destination• It can generate mass appeal and awareness through its scale of

portrayal for a destination (Clewley, 2006). • The UK is seen as a success story in relation to this and quantifiable

research is currently being undertaken by the UK Film Council (Steele, 2006).

• The benefits of such tourism include;• Increased employment in the tourist industry (Shields, 2006), • Increased product sales (Coates, 2006), • New hotels (Breakell, 2006),• The production crew staying in the area (Dickins, 2006),• Extends the season from March – November (Barker, 2006),• Increases a feeling of pride in the area (Elliott, 2006),• It can make a destination more recognisable Rowe-Marshall (2006).

• Movie induced tourism contributes financial factors and it is an ongoing positive thing for the little villages (Rhodes, 2006) but what

happens the local economy when it stops? (Barker, 2006).

Empirical ResearchIssue 7: The drawbacks of television induced tourism to a

destination• If a private residence is used in a production (The Monarch of the

Glen), tourists have might seek out the house which can have a negative impact on the owner.

• The image reflected in the movie may not be complementary to the destination brand or accurately reflect the reality in the destination (Inze, 2006).

• DMO’s have no control over the destination image portrayed (Tempest, 2006).

• Negative visitor management issues have arisen in Yorkshire (Barker, 2006)• Congestion (Morton, 2006) - Goathland and Aysgarth Falls (Shields, 2006). • Problems arise if the television series is a success and no infrastructure has

been put in place to maximise the opportunity or manage the demand (Inze, 2006).

• disruption to the locals (Dickins, 2006) and also the creative use of a filming location (displacement) (Guffogg, 2006).

• The negative effects can often overwhelm a smaller destination (Clewley, 2006) e.g. Heartbeat and Goathland

• If a series uses a location heavily, the disruption can be quite tiring for the residents.

• Tourists are using it as the base for touring the area (Kibblewhite, 2006). • Erosion had a major impact on the village. • Tourists are also disappointed that Goathland is in the 21st century and not in the

1960’s as it is set (Fernandez-Young, 2006).

Empirical ResearchIssue 7: Television programmes can induce people to visit

destinations• Supported by the stakeholders (Barker, 2006; Dodd, 2006; Elliott,

2006; Evans, 2006 and Steele, 2006).• Tourists seeking such sites demonstrate 'irresistible drive' to find

locations to which an emotional link has been forged through television (Reeves, 2003).

• Inze (2006) stated that the television induced tourism phenomenon seems likely given the fact that tour operators have begun creating television branded tours to meet the demand.

• The Herriot (Yorkshire Dales), Heartbeat (Goathland) and Summer Wine (Holmfirth) country brands still encourage people to visit these areas (Inze, 2006).

Conclusions• Television induced tourism is an untapped and little

understood field of research. • In the past, it has been incidental to the programme

itself with little consideration given to the long-term effects filming may have on a region.

• There are both positive and negative impacts of filming in Yorkshire. • Issues - future development, overcrowding, congestion,

increasing real estate values community pride and economic benefits.

• It contributes economically to the region and has led to an increase in employment.

• There is a need to study other regions most notably Australia and the USA for the filming of popular television series.

• It would also be of interest to study the difference between the towns and villages that consistently succeed and those that don’t.

• Yorkshires’ tourism organisations can maintain long-term survival through developing a better understanding of the tourism impacts.

Conclusions• The authenticity of their tourism product needs to be contemplated as

visitors now wish to get behind the scenes and learn more about foreign cultures.

• To provide such authenticity and maintain the daily routine of their community is one of the great challenges facing the residents.

• However, for such positive impacts to outweigh the negative, tourism does need to receive more attention from tourism authorities and be properly planned at an earlier stage than often actually occurs.

• It is crucial to keep abreast of what is shooting where and maintaining the relationship between the production company, the local authorities, tourism officers and the screen agencies is the only way initially.