Copyright ©2011 Tourism Recreation Research Empire and Romance: Movie-Induced Tourism and the Case of the Sissi Movies MIKE PETERS, MARKUS SCHUCKERT, KAYE CHON and CLARISSA SCHATZMANN A bstract: Recent literature discusses movies and television as determinants of destinations’ image formation influencing tourists’ travel decisions. However, there still exists a lack of knowledge regarding the details of such screen-related influences on travel behaviour. This study attempts to shed light on these screen-related aspects and their role in influencing travel decisions and travel behaviour at the destination. In particular, it examines the role of the Austro- German Sissi movies in attracting visitors to Vienna (Austria). The movies were shot during the 1950s and Vienna served as a major set for the movie. Based on a review of the major literature in the field of movie-induced tourism and the empirical survey the authors are able to derive implications for destination marketing and further research recommendations. Questionnaires were distributed amongst visitors of Sissi-related heritage sites. The findings support the importance of movie-induced tourism by illustrating that the Sissi movies contributed to travellers’ choice to visit Vienna and the film location. Keywords: movie-induced tourism; travel decisions; Sissi; destination images. TOURISM RECREATION RESEARCH VOL. 36(2), 2011: 169-180 MIKE PETERS is Associate Professor at the Department for Strategic Management, Marketing and Tourism,University of Innsbruck, Universitätsstrasse 15, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria. e-mail: mike.peters@uibk.ac.at MARKUS SCHUCKERT ia Professor at the Institute for Tourism and Leisure Research, HTW Chur University of Applied Science, Pulvermühlestrasse 57, CH-7004, Chur. e-mail: Markus.Schuckert@htwchur.ch KAYE CHON is Professor at the School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong S.A.R., P.R. China. e-mail: hmkchon@inet.polyu.edu.hk CLARISSA SCHATZMANN is Research Associate at the Institute for Tourism and Leisure Research, HTW Chur University of Applied Science, Pulvermühlestrasse 57, CH-7004, Chur. e-mail:Clarissa.Schatzmann@htwchur.ch Hobbiton movie sets in New Zealand: Singh and Best 2004), destinations in the mid-life cycle (e.g., Captain Corelli’s M andonlin to Cephalonia island, Greece: Hudson and Ritchie 2006a) or well-established tourism destinations (e.g., The Sound of Music to Salzburg, Austria: Im and Chon 2008). During the last few years, research in the field of movie- induced tourism has been mainly conducted with regard to the role of film in influencing travel (e.g., Im and Chon 2008; Iwashita 2008; Tooke and Baker 1996), film-induced tourist motivation (e.g., Beeton 2005; Macionis 2004; Singh and Best 2004), and decision-making (Di Cesare et al. 2009; Young and Fernandez Young 2008; Nielsen 2001). Recently, Im and Chon (2008) explored the influence of movies on the tourist behaviour in the case of the movie The Sound of M usic (USA , 1965). In a similar manner the authors analyze the impact of the popular Austro-German Sissi movies on travel behaviour and destination selection. The storyboard of the Sissi movies trilogy portrays Austria’s imperial family during their height at the end of the romantic era in the second half of the 19th century. Produced during the early 1950s and released 1955 (Sissi ), 1956 (Sissi: The Introduction There has been an increasing worldwide phenomenon, whereby tourists flock to destinations which served as a set for popular movies or TV shows. Alongside an accompanying credence that consumption of cinematic or television products induces people to amplify or change their consumption of tourism products and services, there are more questions on film-induced tourism and media works within the tourism industry. Lately, researchers acknowledged the importance of movies in influencing individual’s perceptions and motivating tourists to travel to certain tourism nations, regions, destinations or attractions (Iwashita 2008; Im and Chon 2008; O’Connor et al. 2008; Kim et al. 2006; Warnick et al. 2005; Busby and Klug 2001). On the one hand, tourism destinations attempt to support their brand by product placement in TV shows or movies (such as, in the case of Austria, producing TV soaps and dramas such as The Mountain Doctor for the German markets) (Morgan and Pritchard 1998; Riley and Van Doren 1992). On the other hand, screen products can as well inspire and encourage demand for recently explored places (e.g., Lord of the Rings to