Tourism promotion with the help of short films is expected to assist in promoting Saudi Arabia’s image to more domestic and foreign tourists.
Short filmmaker Muhammad Al-Mousa, winner of first place in the “Saudi Summer Award for Media Excellence” said that “short films” are the most influential method in marketing tourism, cultural and heritage cities.
Al-Mousa emphasized that besides TV serials, interesting short films will help encourage tourism. After the release of such films, a lot of reviews and comments are often shared on social networks, expressing how viewers are impressed by these films.
Recently, the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) introduced the “Saudi Winter for Media Excellence” award, which is aimed towards increasing the presence of young creators in the “Tourism Media”.
It’s a platform for the citizens to showcase their artistic creativity.
Al-Mousa said that what distinguishes the influential dimensions of “short films” is their combination of several attractive artistic elements, which are “feelings, images, movement, and content.”
He stressed that such films are important today to attract tourists to various tourist destinations and experiences.
Thamer Al-Harbi, a tourism expert and director of public relations and media at the Faculty of Tourism at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, believes that “short films” have become an influential tool used by countries possessing tourism potentials for luring regional and international markets.
“Because it is based mainly on individuals reviewing their tourism experiences through their views. This gives them a wide area of creativity, and it is the most convincing method, especially when it is published on the various virtual platforms like Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and YouTube channels,” Al-Harbi said.
He added, “The short films will give the participants a strong impetus to the development and production of tourism films, by creating competition between professional and amateur filmmakers, and encouraging them to film and produce films related to our destinations, heritage and tourism experiences.”
Introducing beautiful local landscapes via movies is an ideal way to promote a city’s tourism potential. In reality, many film lovers are enthusiastic about visiting the picturesque places, which have appeared in their favorite films.
Tags: Saudi Tourism Authority, Tourism promotion
