Film tourism meets slum tourism: how negative portrayals can foster a controversial tourist phenomenon

Abstract

Previous literature shows that even negative portrayals of destinations in films can increase the audience’s motivations to visit the depicted places. Building on these contributions, more recent studies have shown that films can play a significant role in inducing motivations for slum tourism, that is, tourism to which poverty is part of the attraction. In this context, the present study aims to verify which aspects of films depicting poor urban places are responsible for attracting slum tourists to such destinations. To this end, the investigation builds on previous conceptualisations of how films attract visitors to the portrayed places. Quantitative Data was collected from tourists during their visits to Rio de Janeiro’s favelas, and later subjected to Exploratory (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Results corroborate a previously proposed conceptualisation according to which slum tourism motivations are affected by two main film determinants. The study is the first to quantitatively corroborate films’ effects on slum tourists’ motivation. Findings also point to relevant insights for destination managers dealing with slum tourism, particularly where it is boosted by films.