Driven by Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, movie tourism on the rise in Hong Kong – and it’s a growing trend in Asia
- Movie and TV tourism has grown, especially in Hong Kong and South Korea, where tourists like to visit film locations and re-enact their favourite scenes
- An emotional connection to a loved old movie or TV series can have a big influence in the choice of a holiday destination for some travellers
Enthusiastically adopting kung fu poses, visitors to the statue of movie icon Bruce Lee, on Hong Kong’s Avenue of Stars beside Victoria Harbour, get a kick out of impersonating their screen idol.
Chan’s company regularly conducts movie-themed walking tours of the city. Armed with an iPad and clipboard, he and his colleagues lead groups of locals and international visitors to locations immortalised in about 20 famous Hong Kong films. He then plays the relevant clips while answering questions from enthusiasts eager to glean any new information about their heroes.
“They are always curious about the gossip and side stories, and they really want to know the exact location. Then they like to pretend and mimic their favourite movie stars,” Chan says.
