Oscar effect: Search for Kolkata hotels up post 'Lion' release

'City of Joy' Kolkata has recorded a 70 per cent rise in hotel searches on accommodation booking website Hotels.Com, thanks to Oscar nomination to film "Lion", extensively shot in the West Bengal capital. "We have seen strong increases in searches for hotels in Oscar nominated film locations as vacationers are inspired to experience these destinations for themselves. The films have clearly captured the hearts and imaginations of people across the world," Amit Agarwal, Marketing- India & South-East Asia at Hotels.Com, said in a release issued here.
Less-travelled international destinations are benefiting from the Oscar's effect too, with a surge of about 70 per cent in searches globally for hotels in the 'City of Joy' since the nomination of film "Lion", which features actor Dev Patel.
These data are based on comparing searches made on February 21, 2017 on Hotels.Com with searches made on January 26, 2016 on Hotels.Com. These dates coincide with the time when the Oscar nominations were publicly announced. Following intense media coverage and critical acclaim of Oscar front runner "La La Land", starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, it has driven searches soaring over 20 per cent up against last year, according to travel experts at Hotels.Com. "La La Land" hit headlines after it was nominated for 14 Oscars - the only film to have matched the nomination record of 1998 super hit "Titanic". Also Washington, DC, the political hub of the United States, enjoyed an uplift of more than a quarter, following Natalie Portman's portrayal of the former First Lady in "Jackie" and the re-invigorated interest in one of America's most progressive presidents. The critically acclaimed "Manchester by the Sea", featuring Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams, was nominated for five Academy Awards and has taken the world by storm, with about 35 per cent more holiday makers considering a trip to Boston and the beautiful coastal towns the movie has captured.