From an ‘Imagined Landscape’ to Iconic Destination: Bollywood Film and Its Impact on Tourism

Abstract

Tourism destinations are a product of the ‘brand personality’ of the space and depend on the cultural influence and collective consciousness. The tourists look for the emotional connection with the destination and re-imagine the self as part of larger community. Thus people’s choice of travelling gets influenced by the representation of the landscape on the screen enveloped in symbolic connotation, narrative emotion and cultural nostalgia. Being one of the biggest film industries all over the world Bollywood, has its own impact over the audience of India and also cater to the global market with specific agenda. The constant construction, reconstruction and representation of space in Bollywood films through its production promote ideology of consumption. With its ever growing market Bollywood film makes an impact over Indian Diaspora. The search for root and identity inspire the NRIs to travel back to the ‘Homeland’. Their journey back to new modern India is a voyage from West to East, Modern to Tradition, ‘Others’ to ‘Self’. Each space on screen put forward interpretations, specific to the character, local and identity. Travelling to a geographical landscape gets attached with the process of self discovery. The onscreen emotion engages in a conversation with the off screen domain as tourist destination. The Bollywood stars become the face of tourism industry. This paper critically examines the impact of film on tourism. How the Bollywood promotes tourism, plays a huge role in constructing the collective identity and influence the economic and social development.