{"id":5272,"date":"2026-07-31T14:40:18","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T14:40:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=5272"},"modified":"2026-07-31T14:40:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T14:40:18","slug":"the-odyssey-is-luring-tourists-to-the-sicilian-island-that-stands-in-for-ithaca-and-could-generate-500-million-in-revenue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=5272","title":{"rendered":"\u2018The Odyssey\u2019 Is Luring Tourists to the Sicilian Island That Stands In for Ithaca \u2014 and Could Generate $500 Million in Revenue"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div>\n<!-- do not apply CSS styles to this element! --><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>\n\tChristopher Nolan\u2019s \u201cThe Odyssey\u201d and Italy have special ties that are generating rich returns.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=5270\">Starz\u2019s U.K.-Set Boxing Crime Drama \u2018Fightland\u2019 Is a Knockout: TV Review<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\n\tThe Greek epic was partly shot on the island of Favignana off the west coast of Sicily \u2014 which stood in for Ithaca, home to Penelope, her son Telemachus and its legendary, long-lost king Odysseus. The largest of the three Egadi Islands, Favignana\u00a0is where Nolan and set designer Ruth De Jong found Ithaca\u2019s perfect palace: the 15th century Castello di Santa Caterina, perched atop Monte Santa Caterina, a tall, craggy hill with a stunning view of the countryside and the Mediterranean Sea.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\u201cIt was just the most epic landscape, where you could see the water everywhere you were and the ships [used for filming] could pull up,\u201d De Jong says in the film\u2019s press notes.<\/p>\n<p>\n\tIt\u2019s also where De Jong and her team built the secluded pig farm and humble hut inhabited by the loyal swineherd Eumaeus (played by John Leguizamo), where Odysseus first goes when he finally comes home, disguised as a beggar to plot against Penelope\u2019s suitors. Nolan also shot in the coves and beaches surrounding Favignana\u2019s coastline and in the nearby tiny islet of Preveto.<\/p>\n<p>\n\tAfter \u201cThe Odyssey\u201d trailer dropped in May \u2014 two months before the epic hit theaters \u2014 Favignana started being heavily promoted and targeted as a tourist destination, including in Airbnb ads offering accommodations well-positioned \u201cto explore the locations that inspired the film\u2019s atmosphere,\u201d as one listing puts it.<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\u201cI\u2019m expecting a significant increase in international tourism, especially from the U.S.,\u201d Sicilia Film Commission chief Nicola Tarantino tells <em>Variety<\/em>, noting that this also happened recently with HBO\u2019s \u201cThe White Lotus\u201d Season 2, shot in 2022 in the Sicilian resort town of Taormina.<\/p>\n<p>\n\tBut the \u201cNolan effect,\u201d as it\u2019s being dubbed by the Italian press, is expected to have a much greater impact. <\/p>\n<p>\n\tWhile, according to estimates cited by newspaper La Repubblica, \u201cWhite Lotus\u201d has so far resulted in a \u20ac138 million ($158 million) tourism revenue windfall for Taormina, \u201cThe Odyssey\u201d could generate more than twice that amount in Favignana. There, tourists inspired by the blockbuster are now expected to bring in a roughly $287 million haul over the next three years, according to initial estimates, and more than $500 million in the long run.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=5268\">Irish Indie Film \u2018Lemonade,\u2019 Starring Barry Keoghan, Reveals First Images and Plot Details (EXCLUSIVE)<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\n\tIncidentally, Dua Lipa and Callum Turner\u2019s June wedding in Palermo, which went viral worldwide, generated an immediate economic return of $17 million for the Sicilian capital and an estimated roughly $300 million in total revenue stemming from visibility and valuation of the Palermo brand, according to tourism consultancy JFC.<\/p>\n<p>\n\tAccording to scholars, Sicily was a location for Odysseus\u2019 wanderings in the epic composed by Homer around 8th century BCE. And the fact that Nolan chose to shoot in \u201cauthentic locations that, in and of themselves, told the story, is hugely important,\u201d Tarantino underlined. <\/p>\n<p>\n\tThe Sicily Film Commission chief added: \u201cWe are very proud that Sicily is a real protagonist of this film,\u201d pointing out that \u201cthrough Nolan\u2019s vision, these locations are entering the imagination of millions of spectators around the world, giving new value to a unique landscape and cultural heritage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\n\tSpeaking of cultural heritage, an unusually high portion of \u201cThe Odyssey\u201d spectators are Italian.<\/p>\n<p>\n\tItaly currently ranks as the fourth top grossing territory in the world for \u201cThe Odyssey,\u201d having scored a $35.6 million intake in Italian cinemas to date, according to figures from NBCUniversal. That box office result is preceded only by France ($37.9 million), U.K.\/Ireland ($56 million) and U.S.\/Canada ($334 million).<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s an extraordinary film that is part of our life and our culture, even though we may not realize it. It\u2019s been part of the canon that we grew up with,\u201d Massimo Proietti, general manager, Italy, for Universal Pictures International, told the \u201cCineguru\u201d podcast.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=5266\">LISTEN: Music Fans Shrug Off Ticket Price Hikes to Keep Summer Concert Business Humming<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\n\tNow, \u201cThe Odyssey\u201d is also turning into a driver for the Italian economy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8216;The Odyssey&#8217; is luring tourists to the Siclian island of Favignana, which stands in for Ithaca, where a rich tourism impact is now expected.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5271,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[2963,4170,108],"class_list":["post-5272","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-film","tag-christohper-nolan","tag-sicily","tag-the-odyssey"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - 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