Top films influence holiday choices

A new study by Hotwire shows movie lovers are flocking to the scenes of Oscar-nominated films.

The 'secret' hotel booking service has revealed a significant increase in hotel bookings around the time films came out in Britain for destinations such as Washington D.C, Paris, Istanbul and New Zealand.

Last month's release of Les Miserables coincided with a 19 per cent increase in hotel searches for Paris. The film depicts battles at the Place de la Bastille and Cloître Saint-Merry, close to the renowned Pompidou Centre.

Steven Spielberg has produced a film worthy of rivalling Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan in Lincoln. His portrayal of the President Lincoln era in 19th century America was a big factor in a 42 per cent increase in searches for Washington D.C.

Istanbul provided the backdrop for the latest James Bond film, Skyfall. The success of the movie led to a 50 per cent rise in searches for Turkey's largest city.

The most significant rise was seen in searches for hotels in New Zealand after The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey hit UK screens in December. The latest chapter in The Lord of the Rings films inspired a 129 per cent increase in interest.