Insights Driven By Data: The Tourism Benefits of Growing New York's Film Industry

On July 17, 2026, filmmaker Christopher Nolan is set to reach yet another high of his industry-defining career with the release of The Odyssey. With a budget of approximately $250 million, it's the first movie to be entirely shot on IMAX cameras.

Only two cinemas in New York State are equipped to screen films in true IMAX 70mm: AMC Lincoln Square 13 in New York City and Cinemark Tinseltown Rochester. This format offers the greatest level of visual depth and immersive scale and sound (perfect for a well-made blockbuster). I will be traveling to both locations to watch The Odyssey in the premium formats of 70mm and IMAX 70mm, despite living hours away from both.

While my trip is motivated by a passion for cinema, it reflects a much broader trend.

Film tourism and “set-jetting” — the practice of visiting locations related to movies, television, and other media — is increasingly popular.

According to a recent 2025 New York visitor profile from Longwoods International:

• Among overnight visitors who participated in "other activities," 11% engaged in film tourism, compared with just 6% nationally.
• Among day visitors who participated in "other activities," 7% engaged in film tourism, compared with just 4% nationally.

Although film tourism still represents a relatively small share of all visitor activity, New York significantly outperforms the national average, suggesting that the state's long history as a filmmaking destination is already translating into travel demand.

Even ignoring the countless films and shows that have been shot or set in New York City, the rest of the state has a rich cinematic history (and future) as well. A few examples:

• Seneca Falls is believed to have inspired the setting of Frank Capra’s It’s A Wonderful Life (1946), Bedford Falls, prompting the town to feature a museum and festival every December.
• Sleepy Hollow is the birthplace of Washington Irving’s short story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”, which still looms large in popular culture thanks to various film and television adaptations. The town naturally celebrates this legacy, particularly with annual celebrations around Halloween season featuring the iconic headless horseman.
• Schenectady, which has served as the shooting location for notable films like The Way We Were (1973), Synecdoche, New York (2008), and The Place Beyond the Pines (2012) has a substantial presence in the film and television production industries, especially due to having the largest dedicated, qualified soundstage at Armory Studios.
• The Syracuse area is home to production companies such as American High that are finding innovative ways to tell stories primarily targeted at younger audiences.

Several factors, including film production becoming more decentralized and New York State’s film tax incentives, have contributed to increased film production in various parts of New York.

According to a recent economic impact study conducted by REMI and commissioned by Empire State Development:

1. 289 production and post-production projects initiated in New York during 2023 and 2024 generated $6.1 billion in direct spending and supported more than 92,000 jobs over the two-year period.
2. On average, these projects contributed $6.3 billion annually to New York's GDP, $10.9 billion in annual economic output, and $827.9 million per year in combined state and local government revenue.
3. Even more striking, every dollar issued through the state's film tax credit program generated approximately $1.50 in state and local government revenue, $11.50 in GDP, and nearly $20 in economic output.

Those figures alone make a compelling case for attracting film production. Crews stay in local hotels, eat at local restaurants, rent vehicles, hire local contractors, purchase supplies, and employ thousands of New Yorkers. The benefits ripple through countless industries that many visitors never associate with filmmaking.

Todd Garofano, former Executive Director of Discover Schenectady, emphasizes three key elements for a destination to thrive in the film market:

1. A New York State Qualified Soundstage is needed for a production to qualify for New York State Film Tax Credits. This is a very competitive market that can bring hundreds, if not thousands of room nights and generate millions in visitor spending each year. 
2. An experienced film commissioner or film coordinator working within the DMO is a must. 
1. Their responsibilities include coordinating site/location visits, helping the production navigate through local permitting processes, securing local crew/staffing, coordinating hotel room blocks and/or short term rentals, and even acting as a production assistant once the cast and crew arrive on site. 
3. A ready, willing and able community support system — City Hall, police, fire, EMS, business owners and residents all buying in to support this lucrative market which again brings visitor spending, provides tax revenue, supports jobs, and creates a sense of pride.

Film productions are often discussed in terms of their economic impact during filming, but for destinations, that is only half the story. Unlike many economic development investments, film production has the potential to continue paying dividends long after the cameras stop rolling.

The same REMI report highlights film and television tourism as an increasingly important secondary benefit of attracting productions. Destinations around the world have demonstrated that a successful film or television series can inspire visitors to experience those places for themselves, creating additional spending years after production has concluded.

The report points to New Zealand's "Tolkien tourism" after the release of the Lord of the Rings movies as one of the best-known examples, while also noting that New York possesses a unique advantage: the global recognition of New York City alongside the natural beauty and distinctive communities found across Upstate New York.

Research cited in the report suggests that destinations can amplify these benefits when they actively market filming locations and when productions explicitly identify where they are set. In other words, a destination doesn't simply benefit because filming occurred there — it benefits when visitors know the story is connected to that place and are given reasons to experience it themselves.

That connection is already evident across New York.

Visitors travel to Seneca Falls because they want to experience the town believed to have inspired Bedford Falls. Fans flock to Sleepy Hollow each October to immerse themselves in the world created by Washington Irving and reinforced through generations of film and television adaptations. Productions filming in Schenectady, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, the Hudson Valley, and countless other communities introduce audiences to places they may never have otherwise considered visiting.

For destination marketing organizations, this presents an opportunity. Rather than viewing film production solely as an economic development initiative, it can also become part of a long-term tourism strategy. A production may only spend a few months on location, but the story it leaves behind can influence travel decisions for decades.

As someone already planning multiple trips across New York just to experience Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey in its intended format, I understand the motivation firsthand. I'm traveling because of how the film is presented, but countless others travel because of where stories take place.

The destinations that recognize this intersection between filmmaking and tourism stand to benefit twice: first from the productions themselves, and then from the visitors inspired to follow in their footsteps.