The New World” could mean new tourists for Virginia.
Tourism officials there hope the movie “The New World,” the story of John Smith and Pocahontas that was filmed in Jamestown, will draw tourists to the historic site.
“Movie companies put millions of dollars into promoting their films,” said Mary Nelson, communications manager for the Virginia Film Office, part of the Virginia Tourism Corp. “Why don’t we try to jump on the bandwagon a little bit and leverage that money for [Virginia]?”
The Richmond tourism group is doing promotional work, including a sweepstakes, with production company New Line Cinema.
A study by the Center for Public Policy at Virginia Commonwealth University found that 22 percent of respondents traveled to a place because they saw it in a movie or television show.
“We know there is a positive correlation between certain kinds of films and tourism,” Ms. Nelson said, citing the boost of tourism Iowa enjoyed when “Field of Dreams” and “Bridges of Madison County” appeared in theaters in 1989 and 1995, respectively.
People still go to the Mountain Lake Hotel in the Southwest Virginia town of Pembroke, where the 1987 film “Dirty Dancing” was filmed, she said.
Joe Fardell, president and chief executive officer of Tourism Calgary in Canada, said “Brokeback Mountain” has boosted interest in Alberta, where the movie was filmed.
“It does help,” he said. “It’s good exposure.”
The Canadian tourism group said it plans to take advantage of the film’s success, as it did when the 1990 film “Dances With Wolves” was made there.
“We use it in promotional material … just to promote Calgary in a better light,” Mr. Fardell said. “There are a lot of films done here and a lot of stars. That seems to draw people, to be where the stars have been.”
Virginia’s tourism office recorded an increased interest in Civil War sites after “Gods and Generals” was released in 2003. Officials don’t know whether the increased interest led to visits, however.
“It was not a successful movie at all, but during the time it was out we showed a spike in inquiries in Civil War visitation,” Ms. Nelson said.
That gives the tourism group hope that “The New World” will lure tourists to Virginia despite the film’s weak box office sales.
The film cost about $30 million to make, but it has brought in only about $7.8 million since it was released nationwide nearly three weeks ago.
Even seeing a movie trailer on television could spark interest in visiting Virginia, Ms. Nelson said.
“Although we’d love it if it were a blockbuster, still the benefit is there,” she said.
Ms. Nelson said the cost of the promotion was negligible, as prizes were donated and the office is simply running its Web site, jamestown1607.org. They say it’s too early to measure results.
In other news …
• Let’s Dish meal assembly stores will open shops in Leesburg, Va., and Gaithersburg this spring. It will be the chain’s first Montgomery County location. The chain has four other stores in the Washington area.
• Retail & Hospitality runs Mondays. Got news? Contact Jen Haberkorn at 202/636-4836 or jhaberkorn@washingtontimes.com.
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