Top Five Travel Destinations Featured in Film

Climb the New Zealand Alps, wander through the misty, rain-soaked Scottish Highlands or get lost in the forests of North Carolina. Not quite the locations you would think of going to yourself? Well what if I told you these are the locations used in some of the biggest movies to come out in the last couple of years? You may just consider it if you knew you could visit Hobbiton, from  The Hobbit, in New Zealand, or District 12 from the Hunger Games in North Carolina. Travellers are looking for something more when they visit countries, and planning to visit favourite film and TV locations has become more than just a pilgrimage for movie fanatics. These are the top five film locations from recent years:

5. Paris, France. Featured in films which like Moulin Rouge and Inception, who wouldn't find the City of Love and Light a little more intriguing? It's starring roles in these two Oscar winning films has certainly added to its allure. However, bringing its cultural side a great deal more attention is the ever-controversial Da Vinci Code. Visit the many art museums or follow the Rose Line just as the hero of the film, Robert Langdon, did and let the mystery of the city speak to you. Find the best places to share similar experiences with our Hummba Paris guide.

4. Rome, Italy. The Italian capital was brought to life for hundreds of viewers across the globe in the film Eat, Pray, Love. Many women fell in love with the Italian city; its inhabitants; and its food, thanks to the publicity the film gave it. The notion of living the pizza and the pasta lifestyle was never made more tangible than in the way it was portrayed in the film. The cuisine, of course is not the only attraction the city holds. Its ancient monuments have been starring in films for years, with the Coliseum being the most prominent among them.  Enjoy the best of food and culture in the city with our Hummba Rome guide.

3. Asheville, North Carolina, USA. Delve into the world of Katniss Everdeen and the rest of the characters from the Hunger Games at the various locations scattered around and bordering the city of Asheville. By far the easiest, and possibly the best, location to visit is the ghost town of the Henri River Mill. The empty town was the ideal location to mimic the run-down home district of Katniss and Peeta.

2.  Glencoe, Scotland. It was up in these Scottish Highlands that we shared an emotional moment between James Bond and his commanding officer, M. Featuring as the landscape surrounding his family homestead in the film Skyfall, the location swept audiences off their feet and has now become the favoured location used in the film. Perhaps it is the beauty of the rugged hills, or the way the highlands seem to match Bond as dangerous, wild and yet gorgeous that has made them so attractive? Pay the spot a visit and decide for yourself.

1.  South Island, New Zealand. With many of the locations from both The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and The Hobbit spread all over the country, it may be worth your while to base an entire holiday around the island.  If time is limited, choose your favourite scene and go in search of the stunning location it was shot in. The beauty of each of these locations has been preserved, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the magic and mystery of Middle Earth. Download a Tourism Radio New Zealand guide to help you navigate your way around the country.