Tourism promotion through the audiovisual sector. The case of the Canary Islands

Abstract

Since its birth in 1895, cinema has made it possible to disseminate images of the most famous and remote places on the planet all over the world. In Spain, mainly during the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera, film production in the provinces increased. Specifically in the Canary Islands, at that time, there was a growing awareness of the power of the big screen as a means of promoting tourism. But there was not enough institutional support, so it was the documentaries made by private companies -mostly foreign- that would contribute to disseminating the first images of these islands abroad.

Fiction films and early documentaries did not always offer a positive portrayal of the archipelago, as would be the case much later with some reports and programmes broadcast on television, although these are only isolated cases. Most of the time, however, their contribution to the promotion of the Canary Islands has been significant. Particularly noteworthy are the feature films (cinematographic and television films by directors of different nationalities) which set the real action on the islands and in which stories were told by groups of holidaymakers. However, most of the most internationally famous feature films used the varied locations of the islands to depict other places. Even so, the publication of articles in the foreign press about the development of the filming would favour the dissemination of its singularities.

In addition to this type of indirect promotion, the Canary Islands' institutions have been carrying out original promotional campaigns through the audiovisual sector since the early 1990s, which have proved to be highly effective. Likewise, the quality of the film productions made by Canary Islanders in recent years has meant that they have been selected for numerous festivals where they have been awarded prizes, favouring the marketing and exhibition of these products abroad.