Written by on Dec 16, 2013. Posted in On Location

New Zealand film tourism uses The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

An extensive film tourism campaign is promoting the New Zealand filming locations used in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. The movie is the second in Peter Jackson’s epic fantasy trilogy following hobbit Bilbo Baggins and a band of dwarves as they encounters the dragon Smaug.

Tourism New Zealand has launched an interactive feature on NewZealand.com that enables visitors to explore filming locations from the new movie.

“Take a Flight through Middle-earth clearly shows that the fantasy locations used to portray Middle-earth are in fact a reality, and that there is a whole world of experiences to be had and people to meet within the movie-scene style landscapes,” said Kevin Bowler, Chief Executive of Tourism New Zealand.

The country was also promoted in Los Angeles ahead of the film's global release date. A short-term exhibition called The Book of New Zealand offered a walk-through multimedia installation that focussed on four locations from the new film, along with a series of the physical sets.

“Our objective with The Book of New Zealand was to support the international story of New Zealand as a fun, must-see tourism destination, as well as an innovative and creative nation, and a great place to make films and do business,” Bowler added.

The Hobbit films spent half a billion dollars filming on location in New Zealand, with the decision eventually made to expand the project from two to three movies.

Take a Flight through Middle-earth clearly shows that the fantasy locations used to portray Middle-earth are in fact a reality.

Kevin Bowler, head of Tourism New Zealand

Filming incentives worth nearly NZD70 million were paid to the production, which was based at Stone Street Studios in Wellington, where Jackson also made the Lord of the Rings trilogy ten years ago.

To read The Location Guide’s interview with The Hobbit’s Supervising Location Manager Jared Connon, click here.

(Main page photo: James Fisher/Warner Brothers/MGM Pictures)