Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SETS (Setting the Scene. Developing a Policy Agency for Sustainable Forms of Media Tourism)
Reporting period: 2022-09-01 to 2024-02-29
Governments around the world are in need of innovative strategies to develop media tourism in a (more) sustainable and inclusive manner, based on a careful balance between economic growth (‘profit’), environmental concerns (‘planet’), and social demands (‘people’). The prominent example of how the Game of Thrones television series (2011-2019) resulted in fan-tourists flooding the city of Dubrovnik in Croatia not only illustrates the significance of film, television, and other forms of popular culture for today’s tourism economy, but also highlights the capricious character of media tourism as well as the multiple concerns it raises in terms of environmental degradation, spatial justice, and cultural heritage. The aim of this PoC was setting up a world-leading knowledge center called The Erasmus Knowledge Centre for Film, Heritage, and Tourism (FIHETO), focused on providing municipalities around the world with a set of products and services to develop their media tourism industry in an environmentally sustainable, socially responsible and culturally sensitive manner. The ultimate goal of this PoC-project, therefore, was to demonstrate the (financial) viability and (technical) feasibility of the envisioned knowledge center in assisting city governments with the search for tailored research-based policies concerning sustainable and inclusive media tourism.
This PoC-project has resulted in the foundation of the Erasmus Knowledge Centre for Film, Heritage, and Tourism (FIHETO): a non-profit organization dedicated to knowledge exchange and strategic advice on sustainable and inclusive film production and related tourism worldwide. As a knowledge center and advocacy platform, FIHETO brings together academic researchers, government officials, industry professionals, and civil society organizations, particularly from the film, tourism, heritage, development, and environmental sectors, with the shared aim of developing, strengthening, and implementing processes, policies, and programs for (more) sustainable and inclusive film locations.
The main goals of FIHETO in the startup phase involved establishing a consultancy service specializing in (advising on) sustainable and inclusive media tourism; developing a prototype of a film location map assisting film commissions and other institutions worldwide in unlocking their ‘imaginative heritage’ and helping them to manage related forms of media tourism; and creating an original database providing a comprehensive overview of the literature available in the field. Concerning the film location map and consultancy, two pilot studies were conducted in Jamaica and Barcelona. These multi-stakeholder, co-creation meetings resulted in the exchange of know-how and a film location map and strategy for future resilience. The guiding principles underlying and driving the mission of FIHETO are all aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The main goals of FIHETO in the startup phase involved establishing a consultancy service specializing in (advising on) sustainable and inclusive media tourism; developing a prototype of a film location map assisting film commissions and other institutions worldwide in unlocking their ‘imaginative heritage’ and helping them to manage related forms of media tourism; and creating an original database providing a comprehensive overview of the literature available in the field. Concerning the film location map and consultancy, two pilot studies were conducted in Jamaica and Barcelona. These multi-stakeholder, co-creation meetings resulted in the exchange of know-how and a film location map and strategy for future resilience. The guiding principles underlying and driving the mission of FIHETO are all aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Our main goal was to set up a world-leading knowledge center called FIHETO, focused on providing municipalities around the world with a set of products and services to develop their film tourism industry in an environmentally sustainable, socially responsible and culturally sensitive manner. While several agencies advising government departments on the industry exist, none of them adopt a critical and holistic (humanities) perspective and focus on the sustainability and inclusivity of media tourism. This PoC has succeeded in founding FIHETO and based on two \pilot studies demonstrated the (financial) viability and (technical) feasibility of the envisioned knowledge center.
The innovative nature of this PoC, beyond the state of the art, lies in making new services and a novel tool available for the effective management of film tourism. This allows the users (city and national governments) to implement effective policy measures to balance a flourishing film tourism sector (generating income) with sustainable natural and cultural resources as well as good living conditions for the local population (retaining local social wellbeing and structures).
Overall, this project has (co-)created a vision and initial product and service strategy to contribute to making film production and related tourism worldwide more sustainable and inclusive for the places, peoples, environments, and cultures.
The innovative nature of this PoC, beyond the state of the art, lies in making new services and a novel tool available for the effective management of film tourism. This allows the users (city and national governments) to implement effective policy measures to balance a flourishing film tourism sector (generating income) with sustainable natural and cultural resources as well as good living conditions for the local population (retaining local social wellbeing and structures).
Overall, this project has (co-)created a vision and initial product and service strategy to contribute to making film production and related tourism worldwide more sustainable and inclusive for the places, peoples, environments, and cultures.