What about the locals: Exploring Residents' Interest in and Suggestions for the Development of Film Tourism in Seville, Spain

Numerous scholars have emphasized the need to engage the local community in the development and planning of film tourism. Drawing on survey data generated by 407 people living in the province of Seville, this chapter seeks to identify the demographic profile of local residents who support film tourism development at a popular tourism destination. Despite the heterogeneity of the sample (in terms of gender, age, education level, and relationship with the tourism sector), the results suggest that the vast majority of respondents are not only supportive of the development of film tourism but also keen on seeing the local community involved in decision-making processes. Remarkably, residents working in the tourism sector welcomed the latter proposition. The results also reveal respondents’ awareness that the film tourism process starts in the pre-production phase: for example, a number of respondents called for better tax incentives for film producers, and many gave considerable attention to media representations of place (e.g., suggesting that film productions should be more realistic). Finally, the suggestions of various residents that film tourism events should be designed for both tourists and local residents point to the potential that film tourism can also have at a domestic level.