How Observational Entertainment Drives Tourism: Place Placement and Parasocial Interaction

Abstract

This study examined the effectiveness of place exposure in observational entertainment programs (OEPs) as a form of product placement (PPL) and its impact on viewers' intentions to visit depicted locations. An experimental study found that on-set placement had a greater influence on visit intentions than creative placement, particularly among viewers with high parasocial interaction with characters. The findings suggest that OEPs can enhance immersion and indirectly promote tourism to lesser-known destinations, providing valuable insights for the tourism industry to leverage screen content in attracting visitors.