moondog

greetings, all. my company is currently considering using movies to promote some of our resorts, so i was hoping to find 2-3 examples of places that were aided, if not put on the map, by film/tv/sports etc.

i can think of a bunch off the top of my head, but i'm pretty sure there's better stuff out there than (goonies --> astoria), (witches of eastwick --> salem), (fargo --> '), (real world --> city x), etc.

anyway, if you guys can think of any good ones, i'd be most appreciative.

guv1976

"When Harry Met Sally" --> Katz' Delicatessen ("I'll have what she's having.")

nako

I think that Salem, Massachusetts was put on the map more for the witch trials than did "The Witches Of Eastwick" (which actually was set in a fictional town in Rhode Island).

The first one that came to my mind was San Dimas, CA (thanks to Bill and Ted), but I'd hardly call that a tourist destination.

Mike

anaggie

Grand Cayman -- The FIRM
Puerto Vallarta -- Night of the Iguana

these two come to mind

New Zealand -- Lord of the Rings

obscure2k

French Riviera - To Catch a Thief
Mount Rushmore- North by Northwest
Rodeo Drive - Pretty Woman
New York - Manhattan
New Orleans - Streetcar Named Desire

BNA_flyer

Boston--"Good Will Hunting" and "A Civil Action" (both had opening sequences with aerial shots of the city, and I always try to pick out familiar locations when I see these)--also "Fever Pitch", though it's a remake of a better British film

"The Firm" also featured Memphis, as well as Grand Cayman. You can add "Cast Away" to the list of Memphis films, and I want to say at least one other John Grisham adaptation.

San Diego--"Anchorman" ("stay classy, San Diego!")

Chicago--"Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and several other John Hughes films, plus "The Blues Brothers" and a bunch of others I can't think of off-hand

"Fargo" spent as much time in Minneapolis as anywhere in North Dakota.

(I guess none of those are resorts, but a fun exercise anyway)

tide

Phang Nga - James Bond

cj001f

Bora Bora - South Pacific

oldpenny16

Hawaii, 'Hawaii 50'

Dallas TX 'Dallas'

pinniped

Iowa - Field of Dreams, Bridges of Madison County

Seriously, both of these flicks sparked mini-tourism industries in their respective areas. I assume this is more of what the OP is looking for, as opposed to a list of movies set in Chicago or New York City.

Maybe a bit of a reach, but the small wineries near Santa Barbara probably got a nice bump out of Sideways.

obscure2k

Heritage House and Mendocino got a big bump from Same Time Next Year

milliegirl

New york -- The Aminityville Horror
Boston -- Cheers
New Hampshire -- On Golden Pond and Peyton Place
Texas -- Dallas

nd_eric_77

Under the Tuscan Sun - inspired several of my mom's friends to visit Tuscanny
Rudy - campus of ND; also inspired an increase in applications for admission
Magnum PI - Hawaii; how many times did he talk about "living in paradise"?
Entrapment - KUL looked awesome in that flic
Rush Hour 2 - HKG looked like a blast (which it is)
Da Vinci Code - book & movie inspired increased tourism for Paris & Rome (especially Louvre & Vatican)
From Russia With Love - Venice & Istanbul

AlecM

When we were living in Seattle for a few years, and were deciding to move back to New England, it was the TV show named after the city that put it into our minds to research it.

Traveling into TF Green PVD instead of to Logan was a big motivator too.

We love the place. The house on the show is a few blocks from where we live.

Best,

Alec in PVD

Taiwaned

Ann of Green Gables - Cavendish, Prince Edward Island

The Japanese still fly to PEI for this place. Didn't the actual house burn down recently? I had friends who worried enough that they decided after it was damaged to go and give it homage. Only place "Megan Fellows" is a household name.