Understanding destination marketing processes through film tourism: local and global networks

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study employs actor-network theory to examine the dynamics of destination marketing in Hokkaido, Japan, where countless films are shot. It is among the first to adopt the local/global network framework in tourism studies, and examine tourism processes through the mobilization, interaction, and disintegration of networks. Networks are understood vis-à-vis actors, and not by the static notion of “power over,” but through the dynamic enactment of the notion of “power to.” The findings show that networks exercise power within them instead of top-down control, and can help practitioners market destinations successfully.