Game of Thrones, Tourism, and the Ethics of Adaptation

Abstract

Abstract This article examines ‘adaptation-induced tourism’, a form of media-induced tourism understood to be distinct from ‘screen tourism’ or ‘literary tourism’ and marked by tourist activity related to an adaptation from one media format to another. Such adaptation-induced tourism activates an existing fan base and as a result provides considerably more upside in terms of the potential long-tail impact of tourism, but also faces particularly acute challenges in terms of fidelity and potential negative fan reactions. Moreover, this article suggests an ethical dimension to adaptation. Examining Game of Thrones tourism in and around Belfast, Northern Ireland (UK), this research shows that the choice to adapt popular works through extensive location shooting invites significant increases in visitation, thereby bringing sustainability issues to the fore and forcing communities to ‘adapt’ to new realities. The changes that occur on the local level, while often positive in the short-term, may have deleterious impacts upon the physical and cultural ecosystem, particularly in the context of climate change and a larger trend in tourism towards ‘adapting’ to new geoatmospheric and political realities. The article suggests that stakeholders involved in location scouting, providing incentives to film and television producers, and the marketing of place might remain mindful of and proactive concerning unintended consequences to seemingly obvious production and development decisions, particularly where adaptations are concerned. Finally, the article suggests that adaptation-induced tourism spaces and their reproduction by visitors are further examples of adaptation that have the potential to induce further visitation, creating a productive circle with ambivalent outcomes.