From its origins the cinema demonstrated an enormous power to capture the social imaginary, because not only had the undeniable mass media condition inscribed in its DNA, but the unique characteristics of its modes of representation and reception made it ideal for it. In this sense, today the extraordinary utility that films have had throughout the history of cinematography has been evident both to disseminate and to configure the image of the different countries and their great effectiveness in raising public interest in knowing them. Without a doubt, the pregnance that the seventh art exercises on the spectators makes it a determining factor in the chain of psychological processes and protocols of all order that govern the tourist activity and determine the choice of a destination by the potential traveler.
This ability of the cinema to colonize the imaginary, whether individual or social, was perceived very soon by the governmental powers of the various countries that knew how to instrumentalize it in their interests, including those related to tourism. In the case of Spain, it is known that it was one of the first European states to pay institutional attention to the tourist event and that there was also an early political interest to use the films as a means of dissemination and defense of the national image against the traditional stereotypes with which it was drawn or perceived from the outside. This governmental interest has been undergoing transformations of various kinds, not only in accordance with the successive historical-political conjunctures, but also due to the same evolution of the tourist phenomenon in the national and international spheres.
Reflecting on the nature of this relationship between Spanish fiction tourist cinema and institutional development policies, from its circumstances and intensity over time, is the object of the III International Conference on Cinema and Tourism to be held in the field of the R&D project (Ref. HAR2011-27750) The interaction between Spanish fiction cinema and tourism. Historical-thematic development, political and economic cultural keys, which is being carried out by the CITur group. For the first time, in this third edition, the Conference is open to give researchers interested in the topic an opportunity to participate in them.
