'Crazy Rich Asians' Effect: Singapore Travel Searches Spike Since Movie Opened

“Crazy Rich Asians” has been burning up the box office for two weeks straight. But producers of the sleeper hit aren’t the only ones cashing in.

Both Orbitz and Kayak tell TheWrap that travel searches for Singapore have skyrocketed since the movie premiered earlier this month, with fans looking to soak in some of the island city-state’s real-life glitz and glamour.

Searches for Singapore on Orbitz soared a whopping 110 versus a year ago, according to the site. Inquiries spiked 20 percent in the week after the movie’s premiere.

Meanwhile, Kayak said it saw a 41 percent jump compared to the same time period last year and a 15 percent increase in the week in the week following the movie’s release, a combination of the increase in the city’s visibility due to the movie’s success as well as recent added flight routes to Singapore, according to the site.

Also Read: 'Crazy Rich Asians' Holds Top Spot at Box Office With Strong $25.9 Million Second Weekend

“They are significant increases,” Carey Malloy, Orbitz’s director of brand marketing, told TheWrap. “When you’re able to sit back and watch a story come to life it makes you want to go there and have the same experiences.”

Search data is the best way to understand trends attributed to specific moments in time, Orbitz said, because it tends to be the most accurate indicator of interest. People who are inspired by a best-selling book or blockbuster film may search a related destination at the moment, even if they book the actual vacation weeks or months later.

Orbitz said it’s seen notable spikes in searches for other movie-inspired destinations over the years, including New Zealand after the release of “Lord of the Rings” and Las Vegas following the success of “The Hangover” movies.

To monetize on the trend, the company has created a specialized page for people looking to recreate their favorite cinematic moments. Fans can explore “Avengers: Infinity War” movie locations in Atlanta Georgia or book a customized vacation to Lombardy, Italy, where “Call Me by Your Name” takes place (peaches not included).

Also Read: 'Crazy Rich Asians' Sequel in Development With Jon M Chu Planning to Return

With a 92 percent Rotten Tomatoes score and an A on CinemaScore, “Crazy Rich Asians” has earned acclaim both as a fun rom-com and as a rallying cry for Asian-Americans looking for more representation in media. Based on Kevin Kwan’s best-seller, the movie stars Constance Wu of ABC’s “Fresh Off the Boat” as Rachel Chu, a Chinese-American economics professor who travels to Singapore with her boyfriend, Nick Young (played by Henry Golding), to attend his best friend’s wedding and meet his wealthy family.

“It’s been a great advert for Singapore, it was pretty well portrayed,” Singapore’s consul general in San Francisco, Darryl Lau, told TheWrap. “We certainly hope this movie will get more people to go to Singapore.”

The Singapore Tourism Board partnered with Warner Bros. on the movie’s promotional activities and hired New York-based public relations companies Edelman and Bullfrog + Baum to help sell the island.

The film could double as a commercial for Singapore’s most luxurious hotspots, which are peppered throughout, from high-end boutiques on Asia’s most famous shopping street, Orchard Road, to the world’s largest infinity pool and the Lion City’s famous outdoor stalls selling a medley of Asian street cuisines, known as “hawker centers.”

Also Read: 'Crazy Rich Asians' Rolls Up No. 1 at Box Office With $34 Million 5-Day Opening

While it’s too early to quantify tourism arrivals, the tourism board believes the movie is creating what it calls “destination awareness.”

“We have received feedback from our tour operators and travel agents that they have seen a spike in enquiries about Singapore, with increase in bookings as well,” Kershing Goh, regional director, STB Americas, told TheWrap.

Considering the film has just opened in theaters recently and the fact that the city is considered a “long-haul” destination, with an almost 20-hour flight from New York City, the early increases in inquiries are a good sign, according to city officials.

“This bodes well for us,” Goh said.

From 'The Cheat' to 'Crazy Rich Asians,' a Brief History of Asian-Americans in Film (Photos)

The widely-lauded romantic comedy "Crazy Rich Asians" is creating buzz for being both great and also the first major studio film since 1993's "Joy Luck Club" to feature a mostly Asian-American cast. The history of Asian-Americans in movies has spanned more than a century, before the inception of color film. Here is a chronological look at films starring Asian-Americans from the past -- and the future.
“The Cheat” (1915) Asian men are rarely painted as sex symbols even in contemporary media, but Japanese-American actor Sessue Hayakawa became a veritable heartthrob, especially after starring in Cecil B. DeMille’s silent thriller, “The Cheat.” Though monumental, his role was that of a predatory antagonist, a typecast that stuck with him during the anti-Japanese sentiments of World War II.
Paramount
“The Toll of The Sea” (1922) Anna May Wong, who was born in Los Angeles to a Chinese-American family, became essentially the first Chinese-American movie star. At the age of 17, she had a leading role as the character of Lotus Flower in one of the first color films made, “The Toll of The Sea,” which was inspired by the play “Madame Butterfly.”
Metro Pictures Corporation
“Daughter of Shanghai” (1937) Anna May Wong starred alongside Korean-American actor Philip Ahn, who played a government agent trying to bust an alien smuggling ring in San Francisco. Ahn later became the first Asian-American to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Paramount
“Sayonara” (1957) Japanese-American actress Miyoshi Umeki starred in “Sayonara” as one-half of a scorned interracial marriage in the midst of the Korean War. Umeki won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role, becoming the first and only Asian-American actress to do so.
Warner Bros.
"Flower Drum Song" (1961) This turducken of a film is a movie adaptation of the musical that was based on the 1957 novel written by Chinese-American author C.Y. Lee. The film was set in San Francisco's Chinatown and the cast was flanked by Japanese-American actor James Shigeta and Chinese-American actress Nancy Kwan.
Universal Pictures
“Enter the Dragon” (1973) Bruce Lee’s most notable film was released six days after his death in 1973. In addition to critical acclaim, the martial arts movie was inducted into the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally significant." Though Lee died young, at the age of 32, he became a symbol of cool strength and surmounting the impossible.
Warner Bros.
“Star Trek: The Motion Picture” (1979) George Takei played Hikaru Sulu aboard the USS Enterprise in the first installment of the “Star Trek” film franchise. The role was reprised by John Cho in the more recent slate of “Star Trek” films.
Paramount
“The Karate Kid” (1984) Even while the titular “Kid” changed throughout the franchise, Mr. Miyagi was the constant. California-born Pat Morita got an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the humble and patient karate master.
Columbia Pictures
“The Joy Luck Club” (1993) The 1993 film based on Amy Tan’s novel is often named these days as an antecedent to “Crazy Rich Asians” -- a big studio film with Asian-American leads. It also featured breakout roles for actresses Ming-Na Wen and Lauren Tom.
Buena Vista
“Mulan” (1998) Mulan was the eighth Disney princess, the second Asian Disney princess, and the first to, well, not technically be a princess. Ming-Na Wen voiced the titular character in the Disney animated film that took place in Han China, while BD Wong voiced General Li Shang. Mulan's sung lines were supplied by Filipina actress, Lea Salonga, who previously lent her voice to the "Aladdin" soundtrack.
Disney
“Charlie’s Angels” (2000) Lucy Liu has had a robust film and television career, from “Ally McBeal” to “Kill Bill” to “Elementary.” One of her first big movie roles was as Alex Munday, an overachieving spy with a diverse skill set, in the 2000 “Charlie’s Angels” film.
Columbia
“Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle” (2004) A modern day stoner comedy starring two Asian-American leads (John Cho and Kal Penn) may seem absurd -- but that’s exactly what this film is. Subverting stereotypes and utilizing humor that didn’t solely rely on race, “Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle” told the epic journey of two guys just trying to satisfy their munchies.
Warner Bros.
“The Big Sick” (2017) Kumail Nanjiani both co-wrote and starred in this Oscar-nominated film. Though technically a romantic comedy, Nanjiani exercised more solemn themes in the movie, which explored his Pakistani upbringing and his real-life relationship with his wife Emily V. Gordon.
Lionsgate
“Crazy Rich Asians” (2018) This opulent film marks a watershed moment in Asian-American film history -- a marriage of an older and revered generation of actors such as Michelle Yeoh, as well as an ushering in of new talent which includes Constance Wu and Awkwafina. And like “The Joy Luck Club,” which came before it, both the film’s director and the novel it’s based on are Asian-American as well.
Warner Bros.
“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” (2018) Very rarely do we see a well-rounded love story involving an Asian-American character on screen, and even less so that depict teenagers. In Netflix's new film, "To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before," star Lana Condor (from "X-Men: Apocalypse”) plays Lara, an endearing adolescent who finds her world upended when the letters she’s written to her crushes are mysteriously released.
Netflix
"Mulan" (2020) This Disney animated film is getting the live-action treatment with a cast led by Chinese-American actress Liu Yifei as the titular character, as well as prominent non Asian-American performers Donnie Yen and Jet Li. The film will also feature Asian-American actors Jason Scott Lee and Rosalind Chao, the latter of whom starred in "The Joy Luck Club."
Disney

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Study up ahead of the raved-about rom-com

The widely-lauded romantic comedy "Crazy Rich Asians" is creating buzz for being both great and also the first major studio film since 1993's "Joy Luck Club" to feature a mostly Asian-American cast. The history of Asian-Americans in movies has spanned more than a century, before the inception of color film. Here is a chronological look at films starring Asian-Americans from the past -- and the future.

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From 'The Cheat' to 'Crazy Rich Asians,' a Brief History of Asian-Americans in Film (Photos)

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