Movies and TV are playing a lead role in US tourism

More than 800 films have been shot in North Carolina, including Last of the Mohicans in Chimney Rock State Park and Nights in Rodanthe on a small island in the Outer Banks.

Dirty Dancing, perhaps the most famous example of all the films associated with North Carolina, still draws visitors to explore its film locations used in the state 25 years after it was released – such as Lake Lure, which hosts an annual Dirty Dancing Festival. From a different genre, horror movies such as The Black Phone, and the Scream and Halloween franchises were all filmed in the state.

Wit Tuttell, director of Visit North Carolina, referenced the economic benefits for small businesses in the region. He described how one antique store made $50,000 in one transaction, supplying props for the Hunger Games trilogy, which was filmed in North Carolina.

Research by the tourist board had shown that 20% of visitors were inspired to come to North Carolina because of a movie or a TV show, he said.

Memphis may be better known for its musical associations, but when they merge with the big screen, it’s a double whammy for the destination, as is the case with this summer’s Elvis biopic, which made $400 million at the box office worldwide and has sparked renewed interest in the singer’s hometown.