The Italian island of Favignana, with a population of 3,000, is looking to capitalise on its role as a filming location for Sir Christopher Nolan's recently released film, The Odyssey. The movie, which retells Homer's epic, saw its opening weekend take over US$264 million (£196 million) globally in July.
Favignana, the largest of the Egadi Islands, served as Ithaca, the homeland of Odysseus, in the film. Local authorities, supported by Universal Pictures and Sicily's culture department, are planning a permanent exhibition. This exhibition, which could open in October at a former Florio tuna-processing plant used as production headquarters, aims to allow visitors to experience the production stages and see costumes and equipment.
Island businesses are anticipating an increase in film tourism, with the head of the local hotel operators' association, Giacomo Incarbona, suggesting that western Sicily could become more attractive to American visitors. However, Favignana is also keen to avoid overtourism, with Mayor Giuseppe Pagoto stating that the municipality will need to prepare for growing demand, including beach cleaning. Measures such as installing mooring buoys and potentially tying vehicle permits to minimum-stay requirements are being considered to regulate visitor flows.