Recently we’ve taken a look at books that inspire wanderlust. Now it’s time to delve into movies that give us itchy travel feet. I took a social media poll to find out which movies inspired my friends, family and colleagues to travel. It was interesting because as the answers rolled in, the parallels between personality and destination became clear.

Come Away with Me: Movies That Make You Want to Travel

The great thing about movies is that everyone experiences them differently. We project ourselves and our emotions onto the characters, and imagine what we would do the same, or differently if it was our story.

Let the results of the poll determine where your next adventure awaits!

The writers said: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot & Chef’s Table

Movies that Make you Want to Travel - Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

Credit: IMDb

In Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, a dramedy from 2016, a news producer uproots her safe and comfortable life to go on assignment in Afghanistan. I’m not surprised my writer friends were inspired by this movie! It’s not the thought of heading straight into a war zone that is the draw here. It’s the adventure of taking your passion and talent on the road and changing lives for the better across the globe. Another such example is the Netflix documentary called Chef’s Table, where a prominent chef is profiled from various locations around the world.

The romantics said: Under the Tuscan Sun & The Tourist

Both these movies have two things in common: romance and Italy. There is something about Italy that brings out the romantic in all of us. The food, the wine, the beaches, and the slew of very good looking romantic leads from Italy (like Sophia Loren) make the destination synonymous with romance. There’s an excellent reason why the movie isn’t called, “Under the California Sun.” Brings up a whole different idea of what the film would be about, doesn’t it!

 

The adventurers said: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty & Lost in Translation

Movies that Make you Want to Travel - The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Credit: IMDb

These two movies have the “strangers in a strange land” vibe that adventurers really go for. It’s about finding yourself out of your element, where you don’t know the people, language or customs – or even why you are actually there. But in the end, the heroes of these types of movies learn to adapt on the fly. They learn to fit in and have fun where they are and soak up the atmosphere. The most significant thing they learn is something important about themselves. Isn’t that what real adventure is all about?

 The gamers and readers of fantasy said: Lord of the Rings

The sweeping landscapes of the Lord of the Rings trilogy were enough to inspire anyone to pack a bag for New Zealand, but for those that love to indulge in alternate and fantasy realities, the famous trilogy was like a dream come true. It’s not just idle wanderlust either! Gregg Anderson, Tourism New Zealand’s general manager for western long-haul markets, says tourism to the region spiked by 50 percent since the trilogy hit the big screen!

A big screen destination for everyone

From the final frontiers of space to the bridges of Maddison County, the silver screen locations that inspire real-world travel are as diverse as the genres themselves. In the end, perhaps it was the poet in the group that responded, not with a destination, but with a realisation: “If you watch a terrific movie, you can time-travel too!”

Want to go places this holiday season? Then open a book or sit down to a good movie and let yourself be swept away where time, location and reality can bend to your will.