NZ's Hobbit Film Premiere to Boost Tourism Down Under??

[TLCOhio]

From the New York Times travel section coming this Sunday morning, they will have this headline: "New Zealand’s Hobbit Trail" with these highlights: "For New Zealand and the millions of fans who spent the last decade tromping this island country in search of 'Lord of the Rings' filming locations, the journey is about to begin again. In Wellington, over 100,000 onlookers are expected to turn up on Nov. 28 outside the red-carpet premiere of 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,' the first of three 'Hobbit' films planned for release by 2014. If all goes according to plan, the pictures will also reopen the floodgates of film tourism here. Movies — ephemeral, imaginary — have a way of sending fans in search of something real. 'The Sound of Music' left such an imprint on Salzburg. In Scotland, tourism skyrocketed at the Wallace Monument following the 1995 release of 'Braveheart.' And in Natchitoches, La., devotees continue to spend $175 a night to sleep in the Shelby Room, where Julia Roberts became a star in 'Steel Magnolias' some 23 years ago. But the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy, which took in over $3 billion at the global box office between 2001 and 2004, changed the film tourism game entirely. To the surprise of almost everyone, it took possession of an entire country."

 

This newspaper travel story has a a large collection of pictures, maps and other details on these various NZ areas. They note that in Queenstown on the South Island, where Director Peter Jackson filmed numerous mountain scenes, 17 tour companies, many of them popping up overnight, started offering movie-related excursions in connection with the “Lord of the Rings” series. Will the Hobbit be as big of a boost for tourism in New Zealand? With our early January 2014 Australia to New Zealand cruise timing to visits these areas, it will be interesting to see how all of this movie hype and interest affects visitors, tour options, etc.

 

Full story at:

http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/10/07/travel/new-zealands-hobbit-trail.html?ref=travel

 

Anybody interested in any of the movie-related tourism?

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 105,693 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[krigaren1]

From the New York Times travel section coming this Sunday morning, they will have this headline: "New Zealand’s Hobbit Trail" with these highlights: "For New Zealand and the millions of fans who spent the last decade tromping this island country in search of 'Lord of the Rings' filming locations, the journey is about to begin again. In Wellington, over 100,000 onlookers are expected to turn up on Nov. 28 outside the red-carpet premiere of 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,' the first of three 'Hobbit' films planned for release by 2014. If all goes according to plan, the pictures will also reopen the floodgates of film tourism here. Movies — ephemeral, imaginary — have a way of sending fans in search of something real. 'The Sound of Music' left such an imprint on Salzburg. In Scotland, tourism skyrocketed at the Wallace Monument following the 1995 release of 'Braveheart.' And in Natchitoches, La., devotees continue to spend $175 a night to sleep in the Shelby Room, where Julia Roberts became a star in 'Steel Magnolias' some 23 years ago. But the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy, which took in over $3 billion at the global box office between 2001 and 2004, changed the film tourism game entirely. To the surprise of almost everyone, it took possession of an entire country."

 

This newspaper travel story has a a large collection of pictures, maps and other details on these various NZ areas. They note that in Queenstown on the South Island, where Director Peter Jackson filmed numerous mountain scenes, 17 tour companies, many of them popping up overnight, started offering movie-related excursions in connection with the “Lord of the Rings” series. Will the Hobbit be as big of a boost for tourism in New Zealand? With our early January 2014 Australia to New Zealand cruise timing to visits these areas, it will be interesting to see how all of this movie hype and interest affects visitors, tour options, etc.

 

Full story at:

http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/10/07/travel/new-zealands-hobbit-trail.html?ref=travel

 

Anybody interested in any of the movie-related tourism?

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 105,693 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

Yep ... and when the dust settles and the tourists eyes start to clear and their feet come back to Mother Earth and not Middle Earth ... the rest of the world will hopefully see that New Zealand is not full of 'Hobbits' but Real people??

[Karennella]

We certainly hope that some of the NZ visitors spill over to Australia. Our tourist industry has been hit with the GFC and the high Aussie dollar. Lots of space here for you all!!

[TLCOhio]

From the Herald in New Zealand Friday, they have this headline: "Hobbit already boosting NZ tourism" with these highlights: "The Hobbit trilogy is already being credited with a big boost to New Zealand tourism with flight bookings jumping significantly as fans flock here for a taste of Middle-earth. A farm near Matamata in Waikato and parts of the Wellington region have become Hobbit tourist attractions, and fans from around the world and coming in their droves to see the backdrop to the films. Flight bookings to New Zealand through online travel site Expedia have increased 84 per cent. Another search engine, Skyscanner, revealed similar interest, with bookings on flights to Wellington up 117 per cent compared to December last year. Air New Zealand was benefiting from the film, even before its release. The airline paid for the rights to be the 'official airline of Middle-earth'. Bookings for the airline from the United States almost doubled the day before last month's Wellington premiere."

 

At a Christmas party last night, I was talking with a good friend and seasoned travel who had seen this film yesterday afternoon. He was total blown away by the visual beauty of the various settings as reflected in this new film. He didn't know how much was the real New Zealand versus movie special effects. BUT, my sense is that it was mostly the "drama" of this country and its unique combination of beaches, coastlines, mountains, valleys, etc., that are there.

 

Full story at:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/news/article.cfm?c_id=7&objectid=10854028

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 112,532 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[TLCOhio]

Below are a couple of visuals in connection with this movie and the sights in New Zealand to help build the excitement.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 112,532 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

Here are two visuals from the Bing website in connecting with the Hobbit movie that just had its big openings in theaters around the world. Looking exciting and interesting!!

 

 

 

[TLCOhio]

From the LA Times and other newspaper this morning, they have this headline: "'The Hobbit' breaks December record with $84.8-million debut" with these highlights: ""The Hobbit" went on a bit of an unexpected journey at the box office this weekend, as the 3-D film grossed $84.8 million during its first three days in theaters, the biggest one ever for the month of December. The movie cost a whopping $250 million to produce. On the positive side, while reviews for the picture were decidedly mixed, those who saw the film this weekend loved it, meaning word-of-mouth for the movie could be strong. The crowd gave the movie an average grade of A, according to market research firm CinemaScore. The movie debuted in 55 foreign countries this weekend. "The Hobbit," which clocks in at nearly three hours, is based on J.R.R. Tolkien's 1937 children's book about a hobbit attempting to help a group of dwarves reclaim their treasure from an evil dragon. "The Lord of the Rings" film series, whose final entry was released in 2003, became one of the highest-grossing franchises of all time. The three films collected more than $2.9 billion worldwide, and the last film "The Return of the King" also won best picture at the Academy Awards."

 

Not sure I like wearing those 3-D glasses in theaters, but will have to see it before going to New Zealand in a little over a year.

 

Full story at:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-box-office-hobbit-20121216,0,1644044.story

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 112,670 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 88,810 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[JacintaH]

Yep ... and when the dust settles and the tourists eyes start to clear and their feet come back to Mother Earth and not Middle Earth ... the rest of the world will hopefully see that New Zealand is not full of 'Hobbits' but Real people??

 

Lol, Its not going to happen. :eek:

[TLCOhio]

Lol, Its not going to happen. :eek:

 

Well, Jacinta, I am totally shocked to learn there are not "little people" there in NZ and that they are actually "real people" in that area of Middle Earth. Hope you and/or others on your Dec. 23 Solstice cruise do a post-trip report and summary on how you liked this ship, the overall trip, key favorite stops, etc.

 

We are looking forward to our first “down under” visit, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Celebrity Solstice sailing, departing Sydney, doing 14 days on this ship we loved in the Med in June 2011. We will be finishing in Auckland. Plus, doing some pre-cruise options for your Cairns, the Rainforest and Great Barrier Reef, then Kangaroo Island near Adelaide before departing from Sidney’s scenic harbor. Any special secrets and tips in your area??

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 112,670 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[TLCOhio]

Caught a couple of "Hobbit" items that might be interest to those fans and/or others, like us, preparing for an upcoming trip to New Zealand.

 

From Independent in London yesterday, they have this headline: "Middle Earthly delights in New Zealand’s South Island" with these highlights: "The extraordinary landscapes of New Zealand are once again commanding the attention of cinema-goers, with the first instalment of Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy returning to a destination that first cast a spell over the Lord of the Rings films a decade ago. I decided to experience my own adventure in the country’s vast South Island: seeking out some of the film’s spectacularly remote new locations, accessible on foot and horseback. Jared Connon, supervising location manager for The Hobbit, told the writer: 'The films add to the credibility of New Zealand not only as a filmmaking destination, but as a tourist destination as well. We have so many beautiful places just waiting to be explored.' It struck me how proud New Zealanders are of Peter Jackson and his films. 'The Hobbit was a project of such national pride and national interest,' says Connon. 'Everybody in New Zealand knows someone who worked on The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit, and they all have invested interest in the end goal. For The Hobbit, it was amazing to see how open everybody was to the film, because they knew what a great thing it was for the country. There was no fear of the unknown, because Peter Jackson has a history with New Zealand and everyone is so proud of him and what he’s done for the country.' "

 

Lots of details in this story on various locations in these areas of NZ. Also, from the New York Times this month, they are playing up and highlighting various travel features from earlier this year. This includes from Oct. 7 with many details and pictures on "New Zealand’s Hobbit Trail" that I had noted earlier.

 

Full stories at:

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/ausandpacific/middle-earthly-delights-in-new-zealands-south-island-8431028.html

http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/10/07/travel/new-zealands-hobbit-trail.html?_r=0

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 113,103 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[TLCOhio]

Sorry to be sharing so much, BUT, the hits and good info keeps flowing along for New Zealand. NBC's Today Show just had a super nice segment by Ann Curry being in New Zealand and doing lots on how the Hobbit and other Peter Jackson films were made so beautiful in NZ. Lots of nice, exciting visuals, insights, info, etc.

 

Here is the video link to that 4 minute, 41 second show segment feature NZ, Peter Jackson movie making, scenic areas there, etc.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/50310833#50310833

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 113,235 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[TLCOhio]

From New York Times this afternoon, they have this headline: "New ‘Hobbit’ Film Opens at No. 1" with these highlights: "Initial box-office results for 'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug' came with a tinge of disappointment: Hollywood expects ticket sales for sequels to go up, and the initial total for 'Desolation of Smaug' fell 13 percent below the opening amount collected last year by 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.' Financed for roughly $225 million — not including at least $100 million in marketing costs — 'Desolation of Smaug' nonetheless posted one of the biggest openings of 2013, with estimated ticket sales of $73.7 million in North America. The well-reviewed movie, directed by Peter Jackson, took in an additional $131.2 million overseas, Warner said. An A-minus score from ticket buyers in exit polls bodes well for word of mouth, which will be crucial to filling seats over the hotly competitive Christmas period. Imax and other 3-D theaters contributed a healthy 49 percent of the 'Desolation of Smaug' total."

 

So, $200 million in opening sales is somewhat disappointing? It seems that people like seeing those beautiful New Zealand settings. Fortunately, we'll get to experience NZ live, in person, starting in late January after our cruise departs Sydney on the way to Auckland.

 

Full story at:

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/12/15/new-hobbit-film-opens-at-no-1/?hp

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 127,775 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[TLCOhio]

Here's more big movie news from down under. From the Associated Press (AP) newswire this morning, they have this headline: " 'Avatar' director James Cameron says he will shoot 3 sequels in New Zealand".

 

Here are the story highlights: "James Cameron says his vision for his three 'Avatar' sequels is to create a family epic in the mold of 'The Godfather' that will introduce viewers to new cultures and go underwater on his fictional moon Pandora. The director announced Monday he will be filming the sequels in New Zealand, where he shot the triple Academy Award-winning original. In an interview with The Associated Press, Cameron also talked about life on a New Zealand farm, where he's growing walnuts and allowing his children to roam. Cameron, 59, said he plans to release the first sequel in 2016, seven years after the release of "Avatar," which has become the highest-grossing film in history with a box office take of nearly $2.8 billion. 'It's going to be a lot of new imagery and a lot of new environments and creatures across Pandora,' he said. Cameron said the theme of sustainability that runs through the 'Avatar' series also extends to his personal life. He and fifth wife Suzy Amis bought a farm about 90 minutes' drive from Wellington where they spend some of the year with their three children. Cameron said he's putting in 650 walnut trees. A native of Canada, Cameron said the New Zealand farm feels like 'closing a loop' after he spent summers on his grandfather's farm in southern Ontario. 'The kids love it here. They love that combination of freedom and responsibility that you get here because you can run freely,' he said. 'There are no predators and snakes and that sort of thing. We just let them go out with a walkie-talkie, and as long as they are back by dinner, we don't care where they are.' He said he plans to bring his own helicopter from California to help make the commute from the farm to Wellington when he's working on the movies."

 

Full story at:

http://www.cleveland.com/movies/index.ssf/2013/12/avatar_director_james_cameron_1.html#incart_river

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Celebrity Solstice Visual Highlights? From our June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in France, Italy, Kotor and Dubrovnik, I have pull together a number of wonderful visuals of the Solstice, its features, food, entertainment, options, etc. We are now at 13,717 views for this shorter version of my larger full review of that cruise and all of the port pictures/details. Check these postings and added info at:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1803477

[newbris]

Sorry to be sharing so much, BUT, the hits and good info keeps flowing along for New Zealand. NBC's Today Show just had a super nice segment by Ann Curry being in New Zealand and doing lots on how the Hobbit and other Peter Jackson films were made so beautiful in NZ. Lots of nice, exciting visuals, insights, info, etc.

 

Here is the video link to that 4 minute, 41 second show segment feature NZ, Peter Jackson movie making, scenic areas there, etc.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/50310833#50310833

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 113,235 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

Enjoyed that Terry, thank you.

[TLCOhio]

Enjoyed that Terry, thank you.

 

Appreciate your follow-up and comments. The Hobbit is still doing very, very well on the movie box office in the U.S. First last week even with many new, popular releases.

 

We are now less than three weeks till we will be boarding the Solstice in super spectacular Sydney harbor with our neighbors of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge for our Jan. 20-Feb. 3 Sydney to Auckland cruise. For our Jan. 9 flight out, it's only one week away. Getting closer!!

 

I'll be doing a live/blog on the Celebrity board with lots of pictures, travel details. Don't know that I'll get 100K+ in views like on our last two cruises, but it is fun sharing, getting good comments and questions, etc.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 156,987 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474