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Beyond the Screen
Film Induced Tourism in Seoul 

PROJECT SUMMARY

An academic proposal anticipating Seoul’s film-induced tourism boom, outlining a government-backed digital platform through global benchmarking, policy strategy, and user-centered design

 

In 2016, film-driven tourism in Seoul was an untapped and underdeveloped opportunity. Although the Korean Wave (Hallyu) had already propelled K-pop and K-dramas to global popularity, there was no formal infrastructure to help international visitors explore filming locations or cultural landmarks featured in Korean media. Tourists who wanted to visit drama locations relied on scattered blogs and fan-made maps, and there was no official guidance or coordinated effort from government or industry to turn this cultural visibility into economic impact.

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Meanwhile, global destinations were proving the power of film-induced tourism (FIT). Cities such as London leveraged Harry Potter filming sites into permanent attractions and guided experiences, while Wellington and Queenstown in New Zealand built the Lord of the Rings franchise into a multi-billion-dollar tourism industry. These models showed how policy support, digital visitor tools, and destination branding could turn on-screen visibility into sustained travel demand. Despite being a global cultural exporter, Seoul lacked a structured FIT strategy, digital infrastructure, and coordinated policy framework.

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This academic independent study proposed a strategic roadmap for Seoul to capture the emerging FIT market long before it became mainstream. It envisioned a government-supported digital platform (website + mobile app) that would:

  • Map verified filming locations across the city.

  • Link each site to storytelling, cultural context, and nearby businesses such as cafés, restaurants, and shops.

  • Provide self-guided, mobile-first travel planning for international visitors.

  • Build trust and visibility through official branding and government endorsement.

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By combining global benchmarking, policy strategy, and user-centered service design, the proposal demonstrated how Seoul could reposition itself as a “city beyond the screen” — a place where visitors could step directly into the worlds they had seen in dramas, movies, and music videos. This vision was years ahead of the now-mainstream trend of pop-culture–driven tourism that Seoul enjoys today, fueled by global hits such as Parasite, Squid Game, and K-pop fandom travel.

TIMELINE

Jan - May 2016 

TOOLS

MS Teams, Google Workspace

TEAM

Solo research project under faculty supervision

MY ROLE

Concept lead, researcher, designer, and producer

WHAT THIS PROJECT DEMONSTRATES

  • Trend foresight — Anticipating pop-culture tourism’s global rise years before Seoul invested in it.

  • Strategic market analysis — Identifying a policy and marketing gap in one of Asia’s fastest-growing destinations.

  • Global model adaptation — Translating success factors from New Zealand (LOTR) and the UK (Harry Potter) to Seoul’s context.

  • Destination branding & service design — Creating a user-centric product vision (digital FIT platform) rather than just policy recommendations.

  • Policy and industry influence — Framing a tourism growth strategy that could be adopted by DMOs, film commissions, and local businesses.

PROBLEM CONTEXT

  • No FIT infrastructure in 2016: Despite strong Hallyu exports, Seoul had no centralized way to guide tourists to K-drama or movie locations.

  • Competitive risk: Cities like Tokyo and Beijing were investing in pop-culture tourism infrastructure; Seoul risked lagging despite cultural momentum.

  • Traveler needs: Young travelers and early K-drama/K-pop fans wanted self-guided, digital-first tools but relied on scattered blogs and fan forums.

  • Policy gap: No cooperation between film producers, city tourism offices, and local businesses to leverage filming exposure into economic growth.

RESEARCH & VALIDATION

  • Global case studies:

    • New Zealand: Built LOTR/Hobbiton tourism into a multi-billion-dollar industry.

    • UK: Leveraged Harry Potter filming sites into permanent attractions and walking tours.

  • Academic & market reports: Studied film-induced tourism economics, destination branding, and media influence on travel behavior.

  • Competitive benchmarking: Compared Seoul to Tokyo and Beijing; identified that both invested in content-themed tours and official promotion.

  • Traveler profiling: Early FIT travelers were digital natives seeking authenticity, mobile-friendly maps, and cultural storytelling beyond sightseeing.

  • Stakeholder mapping: Highlighted the need for cooperation among Visit Seoul, the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), production companies, and local small businesses.

CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT

Vision​

Position Seoul as a “film tourism hub” where travelers can explore locations they’ve seen on screen while engaging with local culture.​

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Key Elements

  • Official FIT Digital Platform (Website + App):

    • Interactive filming location map with verified info.

    • Scene storytelling and behind-the-scenes trivia to create emotional connection.

    • Nearby recommendations (cafés, shops, neighborhoods) to boost local economy.

  • Marketing Framework:

    • Promote Seoul as a living film set — from romantic K-dramas to K-pop music videos and award-winning films.

    • Launch campaigns in target markets with strong K-drama fandom (Japan, China, Southeast Asia).

  • Ecosystem Development:

    • Partner with tour operators for FIT-themed packages.

    • Incentivize production companies to list filming sites.

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Strategic Priorities

  1. Build trust: Government endorsement to give the platform credibility.

  2. Digital-first: Seamless mobile experience with maps, filters, and AR potential.

  3. Community engagement: Support small businesses near filming spots to spread economic benefits.

  4. National scalability: Expand beyond Seoul to other regions (e.g., Busan film hub, Jeju).​

RESEARCH & VALIDATION

  • Over 2 weeks, I consulted with the General Manager and Sales Manager to define and validate the key selling points through 4 meetings.

  • Reviewed architectural plans, early renderings, and neighborhood positioning.

  • Analyzed competitive properties in Manhattan and Brooklyn to understand how design and amenities were marketed.

  • Incorporated coverage from design and hospitality media, highlighting features like the rooftop pool and private balconies as well as meeting and event spaces with its unique selling points.

EXECUTION PROCESS

Research & Framing (Jan 2016)

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Defined project scope and research questions; reviewed academic studies on film-induced tourism, destination branding, and cultural policy; gathered early Seoul tourism data.

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Benchmarking & Gap Analysis (Feb 2016)​

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Studied global leaders (New Zealand – LOTR, UK – Harry Potter, Tokyo, Beijing); mapped Seoul’s filming locations; identified infrastructure and policy gaps.​

Strategy & Platform Concept (Mar–Apr 2016)​

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Built a five-year strategic roadmap; designed the concept for an official FIT digital platform (website + app) with user flows, storytelling features, and economic impact rationale.

Proposal Finalization (May 2016)​

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Integrated research, benchmarking, and platform design into the final academic report “Beyond the Screen,” ready for academic review and policy consideration.

KEY DELIVERABLES

  • Strategic growth plan for Seoul’s film-induced tourism ecosystem.

  • Five-year development roadmap (policy + industry partnerships + product roll-out).

  • Digital platform concept (website/app structure, user journey, content strategy).

  • Benchmark analysis with case studies and ROI projections for FIT adoption.

REFLECTION

This project was an exercise in turning early cultural signals into a structured, forward-looking tourism strategy. By studying how global destinations transformed on-screen popularity into measurable travel demand, I learned how to bridge policy vision with practical, user-centered product design while recognizing areas for deeper research and economic validation.

  • Anticipating Emerging Travel Behavior

    • In 2016, film-driven tourism in Seoul was underdeveloped despite early Hallyu interest. Spotting weak signals — global fan forums mapping drama locations, mobile navigation growth, and global successes like New Zealand’s Lord of the Rings — taught me to connect cultural momentum to strategic tourism planning.

  • Integrating Policy and Product Thinking

    • Effective destination strategy needed both government-level vision and a user-facing tool. Designing an official digital platform translated a high-level marketing idea into something implementable and useful for travelers.

  • Leveraging Global Benchmarks for Credibility

    • Studying the UK’s Harry Potter tourism and New Zealand’s long-term LOTR campaigns helped frame Seoul’s opportunity in a way policy makers could trust, combining measurable ROI with local adaptation.

 

Future Opportunities:

  • User Research

    • Given more resources, conducting primary traveler interviews and surveys would have validated assumptions about visitor motivations and feature preferences.

  • Economic Impact Modeling

    • Adding quantitative impact forecasting (visitor spend, job creation, tax revenue) would have strengthened the business case for government investment and private partnerships.

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Overall, this project taught me how to connect cultural trends with strategic destination development by blending policy planning, market analysis, and user-centered digital design. It strengthened my ability to translate research and global benchmarks into actionable frameworks that can guide tourism growth and stakeholder alignment.

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