When movies "lead the way"
Following the film “Detective Kien: The Headless Case”, Vu Ngoc Thien (a tourist from Hanoi) set out to explore Lam Binh, Tuyen Quang province. “When I arrived in Na Hang, I was overwhelmed by the peaceful and majestic natural scenery. In the middle of the emerald green lake, towering mountain ranges appeared like a watercolor painting with overlapping mountains and vast primeval forests. Not only Na Hang, but also the destinations that appeared in the film such as Ban Cai Lake and Khuoi Nhi Waterfall were very impressive. I don’t understand why such a beautiful place is not known by many people,” Thien shared.
As a photography enthusiast and film-maker, Vu Ngoc Thien often goes to the cinema to find inspiration and learn more. Sometimes, it is cinema that "leads" him to new destinations on the Vietnamese tourism map, from Phu Yen to Tuyen Quang. Although the film's scenery is beautiful, Thien believes that the frames in "Detective Kien" still do not fully express the beauty and spirit of Lam Binh tourism, but only introduce the whole destination. He believes that the real scene will surprise tourists more than the film.
“I went from the peaceful Ban Cai Lake, which tourists often overlook, to the majestic Nam Me Waterfall, the most majestic in the Northeast - Northwest region, and then explored Na Hang Lake with many interesting experiences. I will definitely return to Lam Binh in July to hunt for more beautiful photos,” said Vu Ngoc Thien. Not only him, after “Detective Kien” was released in theaters, many audiences who first learned about Lam Binh also came here to experience it.
According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Tuyen Quang province, the number of visitors to Lam Binh and Na Hang has increased by 5-10% compared to the same period last year, especially on weekends and holidays. Places appearing in the film such as Khuoi Nhi waterfall and Ban Cai lake have become check-in spots attracting visitors, not only from within the province but also from Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and international visitors.
After "Detective Kien" was released in theaters, many audiences who first learned about Lam Binh also came here to experience it.
“This is a very positive signal, showing that cinema can play a big role in stimulating tourism and promoting local images in a close and effective way,” said Ms. Ma Thi Thao - Deputy Director of the Department.
A Booking.com survey published in August 2024 also showed that popular culture - especially movies and TV shows - is strongly influencing the way Gen Z chooses travel destinations. Of which, 67% of Gen Z are attracted to destinations that have appeared on screen, and 60% want to experience the culture and cuisine portrayed in movies and TV shows.
The movie "Detective Kien" has contributed to promoting the image of the majestic country of Vietnam to many tourists.
Tourism boost from cinema
According to Dr. Duong Duc Minh - Deputy Director of the Institute for Economic and Tourism Development Research, over the past two decades, cinema has become an effective tool for promoting tourism on a global scale when the trend of experiential tourism and emotional tourism is on the rise.
“In Vietnam, awareness of the relationship between cinema and tourism is becoming clearer, but the process of taking advantage of it is still at a rudimentary level, without a systematic and synchronous strategy like in pioneering countries,” said Mr. Minh.
Cinema has become an effective tourism promotion tool globally over the past two decades.
A typical example is the Hollywood movie “Kong: Skull Island” (2017). When the scenes filmed in Quang Binh, Ninh Binh, and Ha Long were broadcast, the wild and majestic natural images of Vietnam were introduced to millions of global audiences, and searches for these locations exploded. “Following Kong” tours quickly emerged, paving the way for location-based tourism. “Although the post-film promotion campaign has not yet fully exploited its potential, this is still a turning point in bringing Vietnam’s image to the world through the language of international cinema,” Dr. Minh commented.
Not only foreign film studios, but also domestic directors are contributing to spreading the image of destinations through cinema. Typically, the film "Mat Biec" by director Victor Vu not only resonated in terms of content, but also made many people "crazy" with filming locations in Hue such as Vong Canh hill, Thien An hill, Ha Cang village... These locations quickly became favorite "check-in coordinates" of young people. Similarly, the film "I see yellow flowers on green grass" created a "fever" of tourism in Phu Yen with Ghenh Da Dia, Bai Xep, Dam O Loan...
The movie scenes become interesting check-in locations that attract audiences.
However, according to Dr. Minh, most of the above examples are spontaneous, lacking coordination between the tourism and film industries. “Most post-film promotional campaigns lack the role of the government or the General Department of Tourism. Film tours are mainly spontaneously run by the private sector, lacking professional and long-term orientation, so they easily explode and then quickly fade away. To go further, Vietnam needs a systematic strategy, close links between industries and long-term creative incentive policies,” Dr. Duong Duc Minh commented.
Long-term strategy and coordinated efforts are needed to closely coordinate the tourism and film industries.
Tuyen Quang Tourism: Orientation from a movie
Ms. Ma Thi Thao assessed that "Detective Kien" is a great opportunity for Tuyen Quang to promote the local image in a lively, natural and effective way to the general public, especially the youth.
“Through realistic and beautiful scenes at Khuoi Nhi waterfall and Ban Cai lake (Lam Binh), the audience can clearly see the wild and poetic beauty of Tuyen Quang's nature. Images recorded in cinematic language will create a strong impression, urging tourists to explore reality. The film also helps to arouse curiosity and discovery about the culture and people of Tuyen Quang, when integrating typical highland elements, community activities, and indigenous customs, thereby contributing to spreading cultural values and helping Tuyen Quang tourism build its own unique identity,” said Ms. Thao.
Through the scenes in the movie, Tuyen Quang appears majestic.
Lam Binh currently welcomes guests in the direction of community tourism, combining nature conservation with promoting the culture of the Tay and Dao ethnic groups... Visitors can experience SUP rowing, kayaking, waterfall bathing, homestay, enjoy grilled stream fish, hill chicken, leaf-fermented wine, and traditional cultural activities such as Then singing, Tinh lute, fire dancing...
After the movie “Detective Kien” was released, the number of tourists to Lam Binh increased, many people came to check-in at the scenes appearing in the movie, thereby promoting the demand for new tourism products such as vlog filming experience, camping by the lake, combining eco-tourism - film studio tourism...
“Tuyen Quang province has identified film-based tourism as a potential and long-term direction. In the coming time, the province will focus on building a strategy to develop this type of tourism with some specific directions such as attracting film crews to survey and choose filming locations to create more attractive media products. At the same time, develop film-based tours, combining storytelling, cultural experiences and photography. A coordination mechanism between the culture and tourism sectors and film production units will also be established to proactively promote destinations through cinema.", Ms. Ma Thi Thao shared.
In 2024, Lam Binh welcomed more than 170,000 visitors. The peak tourist season here usually falls in the summer (April-August) and the Lam Binh Festival (February of the lunar calendar).
Tuyen Quang possesses a wild and unique natural landscape and a rich historical relic system, making it a perfect setting for a film. However, the locality still faces many challenges such as limited transport infrastructure, lack of accommodation and logistics services that meet standards, and the lack of a separate policy mechanism to attract film crews, Ms. Thao commented.
Ms. Thao said that Tuyen Quang has identified tourism associated with cinema as a potential and long-term direction. Taking advantage of the positive effects of the film, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Tuyen Quang is building a long-term plan to develop tourism associated with cinema. In the immediate future, the province will coordinate with travel agencies to design the tour "Following Detective Kien", combining visiting the film's setting with real-life experiences such as bathing in Khuoi Nhi waterfall, kayaking on Na Hang lake, exploring villages, staying at homestays and enjoying local cuisine.
Taking advantage of the positive effects of the film, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Tuyen Quang is building a long-term plan to develop tourism associated with cinema.
At the same time, the province focuses on training tourism human resources in a specialized direction: training tour guides on film knowledge, storytelling skills, and encouraging people to participate in building experiences such as taking concept photos and transforming into characters. The province also promotes attracting domestic and foreign film crews, aiming to develop film studio tourism - a trend that is popular worldwide. A coordination mechanism between the culture and tourism sectors and film production units will also be established to proactively promote destinations through cinema. Transport infrastructure, accommodation, environmental sanitation and tourism services will also be upgraded to better meet the needs of tourists.
Need long-term strategy
From an expert's perspective, Dr. Duong Duc Minh believes that the success of "Detective Kien" is a "golden" moment for Tuyen Quang to make a breakthrough, not only in tourism development thinking but also in the ability to transform local culture into emotional tourism experiences through the lens of cinema.
The province needs to re-identify local values from the film's perspective, review the film's settings to develop a "tourism map following Kien's footsteps" with sightseeing routes combined with storytelling using QR codes, AR or mobile applications.
"Detective Kien" has brought Tuyen Quang from a little-known land to a name "covered" in the media.
At the same time, cooperate with businesses - technology startups to create experiential tourism products, such as the "A day as a detective" tour with role-playing activities, deciphering secret letters, connecting restaurants - cafes in movies. This model has been successful in Japan (with Detective Conan Tour) or Korea (with Train to Busan Experience), helping to retain tourists and spread on social networks.
The province also needs to establish an interdisciplinary working group on tourism - cinema - media to support film crews, and at the same time implement a systematic post-film communication campaign such as behind-the-scenes exhibitions, meetings with actors, and a digital content campaign "Tuyen Quang - City of crime solving" on social networks...
This is an opportunity for Tuyen Quang tourism to develop even further.
Regarding human resources, the locality should train a team of “storytelling guides” - helping tourists not only visit but also feel the depth of culture through the lens of cinema. In addition, encourage the development of products based on films and organize creative playgrounds after the film for young people.
“Detective Kien” has transformed Tuyen Quang from a little-known land into a name that is “covered” in the media. This is the time for the province to establish a long-term strategy to not only retain tourists, but also enhance its image through cinema - the global language of emotions and experiences.
