How Irish film production affects tourism in the west of Ireland
This thesis examines the effects of film induced tourism on community culture and economies in the West of Ireland. With the recent release of the film The Banshees of Inisherin (2022), this study questions how the predicted film induced tourism resulting from the film will affect the regions where filming took place, mainly Inish Mór, the Aran Islands and Achill Island.
The research primarily questions how Irish film production affects tourism in the West of Ireland. Previous examples of film productions that were shot in the West such as The Quiet Man (1952) and The Field (1990) are useful to investigate. How has film induced tourism been activated as a tool for the economic development of tourism in these rural regions and what effects have this form of tourism had on the local communities?
Related theories such as the Tourist Gaze by John Urry, and writings by Pat Brereton and Sue Beeton, are applied to the cases outlined above. Primary research was also collected via interviews with people who live on Achill Island. By conducting these interviews, the research can consider how film induced tourism is received by the local communities involved.