Abstract
The topic of this research project is media tourism, the phenomenon of people travelling to places because of an association with a film, television series, novel or other media product. Recently significant growth has been detected in this form of tourism, with far-reaching consequences for the locations concerned. The aim of this project is to discover why and under what circumstances popular media products give rise to new tourism flows, and which variations can be found based on the specific characteristics of the medium, the tourist and the location involved. Media tourism has received a growing amount of attention from scholars in various academic disciplines. However, the existing knowledge about this phenomenon is still highly fragmented. This project aims to be the first in which interdisciplinary research will be conducted, involving an analysis and comparison of literary, cinematic and musical examples of media tourism. By investigating commonalities and differences, we intend to highlight how literature, film and music, each in their own way, stimulate the geographical imagination and literally 'move' their audiences. The research is based on a combination of qualitative content analysis, ethnographic fieldwork and experimental methods, such as the respondent video journal. This project is innovative in three ways. Firstly, its interdisciplinary approach delivers a fundamental contribution to a growing but fragmented field of research. Secondly, this project challenges post-modern theories concerning hyperreality, mediatization and deterritorialisation which have commonly but questionably assumed that the material-physical foundations of culture are no longer of value in a virtualised world. Thirdly, this project offers an analysis of the growing influence of popular media culture on perceptions of belonging and related notions of local, regional or national identity. This theme is not only theoretically relevant but also of practical use for cultural heritage institutions and policy makers on tourism and culture.