The effect of cinema
When a film creates a buzz, especially with impressive filming locations, audiences often tend to go to the film's locations to experience reality. This trend not only attracts tourists but also contributes to spreading the cultural and natural values of destinations that are not widely known through traditional media channels.
Recently, the movie "Tunnels: The sun in the dark" caused a box office fever, reaching 100 billion dong after less than a week of release - becoming the first Vietnam War film to reach this milestone (data from Box Office Vietnam). Not only reproducing the heroic phase of the nation, the film also aroused the wave of tourism to Cu Chi Tunnels (Ho Chi Minh City). Mr. Bui Thanh Tu - Marketing Director of Bestprice - said the tour "returning to steel land" is always in a state of "burning place" thanks to the effect from the movie.
Previously, many Vietnamese films also contributed to promoting domestic tourism. "Love by mistake for a best friend" (2024) brought audiences to Sa Pa, Ha Long, Tay Ninh, Phu Quoc...; while "I see yellow flowers on green grass" 2015 created a wave of "healing" tourism in Phu Yen, helping the locality increase the number of visitors by 20-25% after the film was released.
Vietnamese cinema also left its mark on the international map with A Tourist's Guide to Love (2023) - a Netflix film shot entirely in Vietnam, with outstanding scenes in Ho Chi Minh City, Hoi An, Hanoi, Ha Giang... This is the first time Netflix has produced a film with a completely set in Vietnam with domestic and foreign crews, showing great potential of cinema in promoting national image.
Cinema opens the way for tourism
After many years of working, director Victor Vu has traveled throughout Vietnam to find unique settings for his film: The ancient capital of Hue in Mat Biec, Ba Be lake (Bac Kan) in The Last Wife, Quang Binh cave in The Immortal... Most recently, he chose Tuyen Quang as the main setting for Inspector Kien (2025).
Victor Vu shared: "Tuyen Quang is not just a setting, but a place to preserve emotional flow. This land has a quiet, rustic beauty, sometimes cold to haunting - very suitable for the atmosphere of the film. I didn't come here to "make a film", but because I felt like this place was inviting me".
"I want to bring the audience a land that rarely appears on the Vietnamese screen. Tuyen Quang is not only beautiful but also has its own cultural identity. When the characters are placed in that space, the emotions they express are also more realistic and profound" - director Victor Vu shared.
He said that during the filming process, the crew received enthusiastic support from the local government and people - from the set survey, asking for permission to film in specific areas to logistics, security, traffic - everything went smoothly and with goodwill.
Dr. Dang Thu Ha - Deputy Head of the Department of Fine Arts of Cinema, Hanoi University of Theatre and Cinema - said that if the combination of cinema and tourism is implemented properly, it will create a big boost for local economic and cultural development.
However, according to her, to achieve real results, there needs to be a clear roadmap and specific orientation. The tourism industry or local authorities should play a supporting role, creating conditions for filmmakers to promote their creativity, instead of forcing the image of tourism into films.
Ms. Ha emphasized that if the screenwriter and director can access the destination from a creative perspective, they will naturally, reasonably and emotionally incorporate the local image into the film story.
The film Giao thuong 8675 (2023) is a typical example, depicting the scenery of Binh Dinh, Ho Chi Minh City and Ninh Binh through landmarks such as Ky Co beach, Quang Trung museum, Bach Dang wharf, Co Vien Lau... with the quintessence of local cuisine.
According to her, cinema is an effective means not only to promote domestic tourism but also to bring the image of Vietnam to the world. When filmmakers focus on the setting, combined with local support policies, tourism through cinema will develop strongly.
