It’s Lights! Camera! Travel! That’s what happens when a destination becomes part of a movie.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve traveled around the world, to discover a hotel, store, or location that was featured in a blockbuster film, or highlighted in a TV series.
In fact, on Kauai, there is actually a very popular movie tour that has attracted scores of travelers to the island. It’s called the Kauai Movie Tour. I spoke with JoAnn Erban, Vice President of Customer Success for Roberts Hawaii, the tour company that offers the Kauai Movie Tour. She explained that Kauai has had more than 90-plus movies filmed on the island, and it’s proven to be a booming business. She told me, “Movie buffs flock to this tour, who want to see their favorite movie locations, and people do come directly to Kauai for these tours. We even have repeat visitors from as long as 20 years ago.”
She added, “Elvis fans love this tour as we feature many of Elvis’ iconic movies on this tour. We also have the exclusive entry to Coco Palms, where Elvis’ wedding took place in the movie Blue Hawaii.” In fact, she told me that when, in 2012, the Kauai Marriott Resort and Beach Club held a tribute to Elvis and the film Blue Hawaii, guests had to be turned away.
Attention, Elvis fans! The Kauai Movie Tour will take you to the famous Coco Palms, as featured in … [+] the movie Blue Hawaii.
Sue Kanoho, Executive Director of the Kauai Visitors Bureau, said that “We had to cut it off. If we had 800 tickets, we would have sold them all, but because of the space, we had to cut it short.”
Georgia Skinner of the Hawaii Film Office said that “Major features like Jurassic are really great calling cards for the state’s tourism industry.”
If you’re a film buff, this Kauai movie day tour is especially for you. With its natural beauty and tropical landscapes, Kauai has long been a sought-after destination for Hollywood. You’ll recognize iconic locations and backdrops from all your favorite films. For the maximum experience, you can immerse yourself in movie clips aboard the tour minibus and see how filmmakers made the island of Kauai translate onto the silver screen.
Wailua Falls is a beautiful spot that has been filmed in many Hollywood movies shot in Kauai.
See where Harrison Ford and Anne Heche survived a crash landing in Six Days and Seven Nights. Relive the fate of those shipwrecked on Gilligan’s Island and feel just like a competitor in The Amazing Race. Check out the waterfall shown in the opening credits on Fantasy Island and remember, dead men tell no tales on Pirates of the Caribbean. Also don’t forget about a classic Jurassic Park tour.
Or you can croon along with Elvis in Blue Hawaii in Coco Palms – this is a special treat, as Roberts Hawaii is the only tour and transportation company with access to this popular site.
Of course, you will also travel to Hanalei Pier, featured in the movies South Pacific (1958), Miss Sadie Thompson (1953) and The Wackiest Ship In the Army (1960).
You may recognize Hanalei Pier in Kauai, as it was seen in the hit movie South Pacific.
And the reel deal continues to this day. This year, for example, to tie in with the popular Crazy Rich Asians movie, the surprise hit of last summer, Protravel International developed a “Crazy Rich Americans Love Singapore” travel package – for $30,000 per person. The tour, consisting of six days, featured travel on Singapore Airlines in its first-class suites; stays at top-shelf hotels such as Raffles and Capitol Kempinski Singapore; and a private guide. Mr. Ninan Chacko, CEO of Protravel’s parent company, Travel Leaders Group, told me that “We actually sold three trips, and had 170 leads. The campaign exceeded our wildest expectations. We wanted our clients to vacation like a movie star…The goal, with Singapore Tourism, was to drive interest and discussion of Singapore.”
Raffles Singapore is a world-class — and world-famous — hotel, featured in the “Crazy Rich … [+] Americans Love Singapore” $30,000 package.
He added, “We also work with Great Britain, Italy, Mexico, and Asia. It’s all designed to bring the right kind of tourists during the right seasons – especially shoulder and off-peak.
He added that Singapore was already successful as a business destination, but that because of the hit movie, it became a leisure destination, “with all of the characteristics for leisure travel.”
So what can you expect next? How about more tourism in the locations where the new James Bond movie was filmed? “No Time To Die” will certainly put a wealth of destinations even more on the map.
For more about my Wanderlust adventures, Follow me on Instagram at @DebbiKickham.
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