Decoding. Belle and Sébastien, Emily in Paris… when cinema and series give a boost to tourism

In a study unveiled by Netflix just before the Cannes Film Festival, measuring the economic, social, and cultural impact of all its programs, the streaming platform claims that 38% of foreign tourists visiting Paris in 2024 mentioned the series Emily in Paris as one of the reasons for their visit to the capital. A similar figure to that advanced by the National Cinema Center (CNC) two years ago. Film and series tourism is now a well-known phenomenon. But it no longer only concerns countries like New Zealand (Lord of the Rings) or Croatia (Game of Thrones), but also France. And even if Paris (with Emily in Paris or Lupin) is often in the forefront of tourist visits, the regions also benefit.

“The economic benefits related to film tourism are sometimes difficult to evaluate because the specific indicators do not exist as such. However, we know that successful films generate popular enthusiasm for the destinations portrayed on the screen,” said Sophie Rotkopf, vice president delegated to culture and heritage of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Among her examples, the saga Belle et Sébastien (from 2013 to 2018), which allowed the Tourist Office of the Maurienne Valley to promote a welcoming route for visitors for several years; the Ideal Palace of the Postman Cheval which saw the number of entries soar (+30%) after the release of the film The Incredible Story of the Postman Cheval (2019) with Jacques Gamblin and Laëtitia Casta; or the landscapes of Vercors seen in A little something extra (2024) which caused a tourist craze to the point that the Tourist Office Saint-Marcellin Vercors Isère had to deploy a whole program around the film.

Sophie Rotkopf hopes that “the success of Compostelle (still in theaters) will lead, once again, to an increase in the attendance of both the paths and the city of Le Puy-en-Velay.”

Context: Netflix’s study on the impact of its programs on tourism in Paris.
Fact Check: The mention of 38% of foreign tourists citing “Emily in Paris” as a reason for visiting in 2024.

When Cannes will welcome the fourth season of The White Lotus

A tourism inwardly motivated by films, but also by series, and primarily by daily soap operas, such as Un Si Grand Soleil and Demain nous appartient. As we wrote back in 2025, the increasing number of shootings in the South generates significant tourism benefits, as more and more viewers travel to visit the locations where they were filmed. And cities have understood this well, setting up guided tours and souvenir shops.

Even Cannes will be affected by this phenomenon. Right after the festival, the filming of the fourth season of The White Lotus, an American series mocking the wealthy clients of luxury palaces, will set its cameras on the Croisette. The plot will pit two film crews each presenting a work in competition at the Cannes Film Festival. Shot between the Château de la Messardière, located in Saint-Tropez, and the Hôtel Martinez in Cannes, this season brings together Vincent Cassel, Laura Smet, or Nadia Tereszkiewicz among the “Frenchies,” while Laura Dern, Sir Ben Kingsley, or Alexander Ludwig among the Anglo-Saxons. What will the economic impact be? We will have to wait for the airing of this fourth season, scheduled for sometime in 2027.