Audience Responses Towards Positive and Negative Destination Placement in Films: An Experimental Investigation Murtaza Hassan Itoo*, Komal Nagar** Abstract The present study investigated the effects of flm posters with destination marketing content on audiences’ attitude towards the destination, intention to visit and destination image. The basic assumption was that positive and negative destination placement in flms of two different attractive tourist destinations could infuence audiences’ attitude towards the destination, intention to visit and destination image. Using flm posters as experimental stimuli, proposed hypotheses were examined by employing a 2 (destination placement in flms: positive/negative) × 2 (attractive tourist destination: high/low) factorial design. Results suggest that audiences’ responses towards positive destination placement in flm facilitated high and favourable attitude towards the destination, visit intention and destination image than negative destination placement regardless of the type of attractive tourist destination(high/low). Findings of the present study are relevant for tourism and destination marketers who are constantly searching for a suitable way and medium to place destinations in mass media. The results also call for more empirical studies within the infuence of flms with negative plots on the depicted destinations, such as their long- lasting effect on the destination image. Keywords: Destination Placement in Films, Attractive Tourist Destination, Film Poster, Attitude Towards The Destination, Intention To Visit, Destination Image INTRODUCTION The effects of media in general (Gong and Tung, 2016; Whang, Yong and Ko, 2016; Kim and Jun, 2016 and flms in particular (Hudson and Ritchie, 2006; Josiam, Spears, Pookulangara, Dutta, Kinley and Duncan, 2015; Loureiro, and de Araujo, 2015; Hudson, Wang, and Gil, 2011) on attitude towards the destination, travel intention and destination images(Yen and Teng, 2015; Hetland, Vittersø, Fagermo, Øvervoll, and Dahl, 2016) has been widely studied and acknowledged. Media such as flms, television and even print media are incredibly infuential in promoting and reinforcing images and play asignifcant role in the image buildingof a tourist destination(Loureiro and de Araujo, 2015).Therefore, use of such media products builds an expectation that would be compared to the actual travel experience (Crouch, Jackson and Thompson, 2005). The publicity caused by flms, promotional tools of flms and by the actors can be tremendous (Beeton, 2005). As, people obtain information from various mass media, including advertisements, posters, books, (Rodríguez Campo, Fraiz Brea and Rodríguez-ToubesMuñiz, 2011). Therefore, the messages produced by the mass media can have a high degree of market penetration and credibility (Gartner and Shen, 1992). Images and depictions of destinations made through media such as literature, cinema, advertisements and television play a substantial part in infuencing destination selection (Iwashita, 2006). As a result, flm posters as a tool of flm promotion can be an effective marketing tool for destinations. Researchers have asserted that inclusion of certain types of textual and pictorial content when designing print advertisements specifcally for tourism products can have a signifcant impact on the targeted consumer (Walters, Sparks and Herington, 2007) and promotional tools such International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Systems Volume 12 Issue 1 June 2019 ISSN: 0947-6250 (Print) ©Copyright IJHTS ® Exclusive Marketing Rights: Publishing India Group * Research Scholar, The Business School, University of Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir, India. Email: deedmurtaza@gmail.com ** Assistant Professor, The Business School, University of Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir, India. Email: komalnagar@rediffmail.com