15 DESTINATIONS TRANSFORMED BY FILM TOURISM

From Yash Chopra's snow-kissed Switzerland to Zoya Akhtar's sun-drenched Spain, these filming locations didn't just set the scene—they fuelled our desire for the perfect getaway.

- Maahi Shah

REMEMBER THE MOVIE that made you want to pack your bags and go? A few years ago, my girlfriends and I chased a solid sunset at Lake Pichola on a trip to Udaipur. We sat by a rooftop and deliberated whether Los Angeles's sunshine could ever compare to Mumbai's rains, or whether nostalgia would always trump unexpected conversations with strangers. We dipped our feet in the pool to the tune of Kabira, sipped wine, and convinced ourselves that flirting counted as self-care. If you haven't guessed already, the weekend getaway was inspired by the Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone starrer, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013).

Films are transformative. They inspire us to be better, push us to take a leap of faith, and sometimes, simply to travel to a destination we've been mesmerised by on the silver screen. Today, film tourism is one of the biggest trends in travel. The global film tourism industry is projected to grow from $66.2 billion in 2025 to $145.9 billion by 2035, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.2 per cent. People aren't just watching movies—they're living them. Chances are, there's a film that's sparked your own wanderlust too—the one that made you yearn for a view of winding roads and an old yellow scooter against the blue water of Pangong—yes, we're talking about 3 Idiots (2009). Or perhaps it was Game of Thrones (2011), with its sweeping shots of Iceland's dramatic landscapes. Here's our list of 15 filming locations that made everyone want to pack their bags, grab their passports, and step straight into a movie scene.

Corsica

On this little island, hidden between the borders of Italy and France, you can be whoever you want to be—or at least that's what Ved and Tara from Tamasha (2015) led us to believe. The film's beloved song