Jurassic World: Rebirth Filming in Thailand – How a Global Media Event Showcased Thailand as a Rising Film-Tourism Powerhouse

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) teamed up with Universal Pictures Home Entertainment in August to host a global press event for the digital release of Jurassic World: Rebirth, spotlighting the film’s Thailand filming locations. The trip began in Phuket before moving to key southern sites, including the otherworldly landscapes of Krabi. Under the theme “Sea, Land, and Air,” media and influencers toured several of the Jurassic World Rebirth Thailand filming locations, experiencing first-hand the cinematic settings that brought the story to life.

Already one of the world’s most popular destinations, securing Jurassic World and this media launch is an important part for the country’s ongoing screen tourism efforts in this lucrative market, and offering a cinematic on the big and now small screens of Thailand’s landscapes and scenery that continue to draw visitors. Earlier this year Thailand had a big boost with the screening of HBO’s The White Lotus. The media event took place ahead of Jurassic World: Rebirth’s digital release on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD from 5 August 2025.

At a Glance: Thailand × Jurassic World: Rebirth

Partnership: Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment hosted an international media and influencer event, 30 July – 3 August 2025.
The film premiered on 2 July, with the digital release from 5 August featuring over an hour of behind-the-scenes content filmed across southern Thailand.
Locations featured in the media event, Krabi, Phang Nga, and Trang, where production filmed for over a month in summer 2024.
Economic impact: 400 million Baht local spend | 2,200 jobs created.
Context: Thailand hosted 279 international productions in the first half of 2025 worth 2.8 billion Baht, including The White Lotus Season 3 and FX’s Alien: Earth.
Incentives: “Location Thailand” initiative boosted by Film Thailand’s enhanced rebate offer of up to 30%.

The seventh in the saga and which has built a legions of fans over the years, the new film is set five years after Jurassic World Dominion, where a covert extraction team heads to an island research facility where dinosaurs too deadly for the original Jurassic Park were left behind and inhabited by the worst of the worst that were left behind, and soon the expected mayhem ensues much of it within the stunning Thai locations.

Behind the Scenes Footage and Further Boost to Screen Tourism

The new digital release of Jurassic World: Rebirth features more than an hour of bonus content, including Trekking Through Thailand — a behind-the-scenes feature that follows the cast and crew as they film across the country’s jungles, beaches, and tall grass fields that became home to the Titanosaurs. For Thailand, these sequences showcase the landscapes almost as vividly as the dinosaurs themselves, reinforcing how integral the setting is to the film’s story.

During the theatrical run, Universal Pictures released a shorter featurette titled Filming in the Wild, offering a glimpse of how the production used real locations across Thailand, Malta, London, and New York. That earlier piece acted as a teaser — signalling the global scale of the shoot but holding back the full story until the digital release. Studios often use this two-step approach: first to build excitement in cinemas, then to deepen engagement and drive renewed interest when bonus content drops on streaming or physical formats.

For destinations, this staggered release pattern creates a valuable second window of opportunity. Fans who have already experienced the film on the big screen often rewatch it on streaming platforms and seek out behind-the-scenes content in their own time. That curiosity fuels further searches for the real-world settings, offering tourism boards a natural moment to refresh campaigns or share new materials aligned with the digital launch. In the case of Jurassic World: Rebirth, where Thailand’s locations play such a strong on-screen role, that renewed visibility becomes even more powerful — extending the film’s impact well beyond its theatrical run.

About the Media Event and the Launch of Thailand Film Tourism Campaign

Building on the collaboration between TAT and Universal Pictures, the August media trip brought together around 30 international journalists and influencers, joined by director Gareth Edwards and cast members Jonathan Bailey, Luna Blaise, David Iacono, and Audrina Miranda.

For major franchises like Jurassic World, global media events are designed not only to promote the film but to create visually distinctive, shareable moments in a social first world that then generates coverage in online media. For Thailand, that meant working with Universal pictures to giving journalists and influencers the chance to step directly into the world of the film.

The itinerary began in Phuket with a welcome dinner and media interviews with the director and cast in attendance, before moving to Krabi and Trang for on-location activities. Over the following days they then went to see first hand the locations used in the film’s mission to the abandoned research island. The tour included:

Krabi and the field in Thap Prik which is west of Khao Phanom Bencha National Park. Here they visited the field used for the scene where they stumbled upon the Titanosaurus, where they also filmed short recreations of the scene.They were filmed with cameras as they recreated the part where Scarlett Johansson finds herself deep in the tall grass, running from a herd of towering Titanosaurs. The footage from this was then edited into the scene and given to the media.
Phranang Beach and Krabi Railay which was used for establishing shots and some second-unit exterior views of the limestone cliffs and sea caves, to then blend with the later studio cliff-rappel scene shot in England. Here the media had a chance to rappel down a cliff face, and a reference to the scene where in the film they are at an ancient temple site near the Quetzalcoatlus nest and need to descend the cliff to extract blood from a Quetzalcoatlus egg.
Trang (Ko Kradan – Sunset Beach) – according to reports media also visited the filming site for the shipwreck and beach-landing sequence, which was the first major on-island scenes in Jurassic World: Rebirth.

Large-scale media trips like this are often planned months in advance in partnership with studios, but the scale of such events typically depend on a film’s box office performance which then influences the marketing priorities for digital release. In the case of Jurassic World: Rebirth, Thailand’s prominent role and the franchise’s global pull meant there was a clear opportunity to justify and stage an event of this scale.

Evolving Role of Film Media Events

As awareness of screen tourism’s potential grows, events like this are beginning to move beyond one-off publicity moments. Increasingly, destinations are recognising their value as springboards for longer-term strategies, aligning with a film’s global marketing while laying the groundwork for future tourism campaigns. Thailand’s “Amazing Thailand” and “Location Thailand” initiatives show how media events can be woven into a wider plan, rather than sitting in isolation.

This event also ties into TAT’s ongoing Location Thailand campaign, a national effort to attract international productions and promote film locations as travel destinations through incentives and global partnerships, turning filming sites into tourism draws backed by infrastructure, studio promotion, and the goal of spreading economic benefits beyond the usual tourist hotspots.

Speaking at the event, TAT Governor Ms Thapanee Kiatphaibool said Thailand continues to be a sought-after destination for international productions “not just for our breathtaking cliffs, jungles, and coastlines, but because we offer a complete professional experience.”

How User Generated Content Amplifies Film Tourism

What really works here — and what lends itself so well to screen tourism — is when people get genuinely excited about being in the very locations they’ve already seen on screen. Especially, though not exclusively, among the fandom side of things, where people have lived and breathed these films. With a franchise like Jurassic World, that connection runs deep for fans who have grown up with these films. When it’s done well, this kind of content works because people are seeing influencers actually in those spaces — recreating scenes, running through the same fields, finding out more about a film they’ve grown up with.

The influencer side of it is now such an important part of the mix. Venues and tourism boards want content that gets attention, and while there’s a place for polished beauty shots, there’s equal value in seeing people on camera just getting excited. Both can be right at the same time. “Authentic content” gets called a buzzword a lot, but in this space it really matters — because certain audiences want to see content they can relate to. If they already follow a channel, they want to see it in the same style they’re used to, something that doesn’t feel overproduced.

Sometimes that means content looks a bit rawer or less polished, but you still get that sense of excitement. One Australian influencer who joined the trip, for instance, spent part of her video just talking about the local food – the actual press trip element came later – but the enthusiasm carried through. For real fans, especially those who’ve watched every film in the series, just being in a location linked to the franchise is special. It’s something they’ll share online and talk about long after. That’s why so many destinations are turning to user-generated content and with good reason. A 2024 report by CrowdRiff found that 81% of destination marketers have seen higher engagement since using UGC, with millennials increasingly relying on this kind of content to plan their next trip.

Influencers Tell Your Destination’s Story and Create Shareable Moments

And for destinations, that’s the key point of why this trend for user-generated style content matters in the crossover between film and tourism. As seen with this Jurassic World media event and many others in recent years, influencers, and especially fans of franchise-style films, can tell the story in ways the destination itself can’t. They speak the same language as the audiences they’re reaching.

For destinations running their own campaigns, the key is to guide, not script, giving influencers enough context and direction to hit campaign goals, while leaving space for their own tone and storytelling style to shine. That balance keeps the content engaging and prevents it from feeling overly commercial, and not landing with their audience.

Increasingly, both studios and destinations are designing experiences with a social-first mindset, thinking in terms of what moments will be most shareable, whether it’s running through tall grass in southern Thailand recreating a scene from the film, or offering something that lets visitors step into its world and feel the connection for themselves. The goal is to spark the kind of organic excitement that travels far beyond the original event.

Why Experiences Like This Work

For destinations, film-related media events like this aren’t just about short-term exposure, they influence long-term discoverability. When influencers and journalists post authentic content from real filming sites, it feeds directly into what travellers search for later: where scenes were filmed, how to visit, and what to do nearby. People aren’t just using Google for this anymore; they’re searching inside the same platforms where they already consume content. TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram are now where many audiences begin their travel research, typing things like “Jurassic World Thailand filming locations” or “Thai beaches from the Jurassic World.”

For film fans, that curiosity and fandom, driven by a desire to devour every piece of related content, is exactly what destinations hope will evolve into travel intent, prompting them to research or even book a trip. Over time, those clips, articles, and posts keep resurfacing in feeds and search results, acting as digital breadcrumbs leading potential visitors to itineraries, maps, and booking pages. Recent research by Adobe found that more than 60% of Gen Z Americans have used TikTok as a search engine, showing just how quickly travel discovery is shifting to these new spaces. TikTok’s own report sheds further light on their platforms use when booking travel, with 67% of users searching for travel-related destinations and experiences: what to do in…, where to eat in…, where to stay in.

Jurassic World: The Experience Launches in Thailand

Whilst this was not part of the press trip, August also saw an additional itinerary for tourists to add if looking for Jurassic inspired activities in the country. Jurassic World: The Experience, billed as ‘the closest you’ll ever come to living dinosaurs’, the newly launched site adds to a growing number of global venues including London, Madrid, Bogota and Singapore has now added Spread over 6,000m², at the Asiatique, Jurassic World: The Experience” bring to life elements of the Isla Nublar and mixing real-world science and education with all the thrills and surprises suitable for families. In a partnership with Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment, visitors can see animatronic dinosaurs and the recreation of environments and scenes seen in Jurassic World and Isla Nublar. This is certain to become a firm stop for tourists looking to do something different and feeding into the wider film tourism push.

Film Production Landscape: Thailand for First Half of 2025

On the wider popularity of the country, with figures from the Thailand Film Office (Ministry of Tourism and Sports) highlight not only the popularity of the country but also the work undertaken as part of the Location Thailand initiative.

Thailand hosted 279 international productions, generating 2.866 billion Baht in direct revenue from international crews and services. Full-year earnings are expected to reach 10 billion baht, surpassing the original 7.5 billion baht target set by the Department of Tourism.
The United States led in production expenditure in the country with 1.23 billion Baht, followed by South Korea (251 million), France (211 million), Singapore (200 million), and Germany (142 million).
In terms of number of productions, India led with 30 projects, followed closely by South Korea (29), Japan (22), China (22), the US (20), and France (19).
The provinces with the highest filming activity were Bangkok, Pathum Thani, Chon Buri, Nonthaburi, and Samut Prakan.
The Film Office and other agencies anticipate total foreign production revenue for 2025 will reach 10 billion Baht, exceeding the initial target of 7.5 billion.

A subsequent report from the Tourism Authority of Thailand, covering January to July 2025, recorded 322 foreign productions with revenues exceeding 3.3 billion Baht, reflecting continued growth.

Other Major Productions Filmed in Thailand

TAT’s film tourism strategy which centres on cash rebate incentives, facilitation, and global promotion continues to attract major international productions. In addition to Jurassic World: Rebirth, Thailand recently served as the primary filming location for Alien: Earth using both the futuristic settings of Bangkok along with Samut Prakan, Nakhon Pathom, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Phangnga, Krabi and Surat Thani provinces. The series premiered on 13 August 2025 on Disney+ Hotstar and this production to date stands as the largest foreign series investment in Thailand in more than 30 years, with a budget exceeding 2.8 billion Baht. Shot across seven provinces over nearly two years, it employed over 24,000 Thai crew members.

Other major titles to shoot recently include The White Lotus Season 3 and Fast & Furious 9 further cement Thailand’s reputation as a world-class filming destination. By transforming cinematic moments into meaningful travel inspiration, TAT is turning stories on screen into journeys on the ground—bringing global audiences one step closer to Thailand.

Thailand’s Film Rebate and Infrastructure Strategy Explained

Thailand’s screen-tourism strategy is being led with greater coordination between the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Film Thailand under the Department of Tourism. TAT has taken an increasingly active role in championing the country’s film-industry agenda from facilitating international productions and advocating for enhanced rebates to promoting filming locations through its “Location Thailand” campaign.

Introduced in January 2025, the upgraded rebate scheme offers productions spending at least 50 million Baht a 15 percent rebate, rising to as much as 30 percent depending on criteria met. With no overall cap, the policy is designed to attract larger-scale international projects and reflects Thailand’s broader ambition to cement itself as a world-class production base.

Beyond incentives, TAT is also supporting the improvement of infrastructure in filming areas, and investing in upskilling in production-related industries. Working alongside online travel agencies, local authorities, and communities, it is also developing film-inspired travel itineraries and the necessary skills needed within the tourism sector to support screen tourism.

As of the start of this year, Thailand has an updated programme tiered rebate system based on spending levels in Thailand as follows:

Productions spending at least 50 million Baht, they are eligible for a 15% rebate.
Spending between 100–150 million Baht, the rebates increase to 20%, while production expenditures exceeding 150 million Baht then qualify for a 25% rebate.
The maximum rebate cap is 30%, inclusive of additional incentives.
An additional 5% rebate applies if the film supported is verified by the Committee as promoting Thai tourism, Soft Power, and a positive image of Thailand, based on a points system evaluating positive portrayal, scenic presentation, top-five box-office or streaming rankings in the country of production, and at least 30% of total running time filmed in Thailand.
Further 5% rebate if Thai nationals are hired as members of the production team to perform key functions in line with the minimum criteria.
3% if the film used Department of Tourism-designated locations, and the number of days of principal photography in these areas is not less than 25% of the total filming days in Thailand.
3% if the film spends at least 15% of its eligible budget on post-production in Thailand.

Timing the Tourism Push

The real spark for screen tourism and promotions often comes after audiences have seen a film on the big screen. Trailers and teasers build anticipation, but it’s once people have actually experienced the film that curiosity kicks in to find out more, when they’ve seen in the case of Jurassic World those cliffs, fields, jungles, and beaches come to life in context. That’s when they start looking up where the scenes were shot, reading features, or following social posts that show how to visit those places.

For destinations, understanding the different stages of the release cycle and how films are marketed, means recognising the initial theatrical buzz aimed at core cinema audiences, and the second wave that follows digital and streaming releases, which tend to reach broader and more casual viewers.

Some people see the film in cinemas and instantly want to know where those scenes were shot. Others fall in love with the locations more gradually, as they rewatch the film on digital release or come across behind-the-scenes clips online showcasing the locations. For fans of the franchise, who are more likely to watch the film multiple times, that connection runs even deeper; having also watched and rewatched all the films in the series, they live inside its world. Whether it’s instant or slow-burn, both reactions feed the same impulse, to step into those places for real.

There’s also a third benefit often overlooked: visibility on screen doesn’t just attract travellers, it attracts filmmakers. Successful features like Jurassic World: Rebirth serve as calling cards for the next generation of productions, showcasing what the country can deliver both visually and logistically.

Why It Matters

Model for destination and film synergy: This event with a media and influencer event, whilst geared to a successful blockbuster and worldwide box-office smash, illustrates how a destination can transition from mere filming location to co-creator of experiential marketing, allowing audiences to get behind the scenes and make the connection between the film scene and real-life settings.
Tangible economic impact: Beyond exposure, the initiative delivered measurable benefits to the economy with jobs, local spend, and greater global awareness of the country’s infrastructure, crew and support system for big budget films.
Proof of effectiveness of incentives: The rising numbers in foreign productions underscore how cash rebate policies, streamlined procedures, and marketing partnerships help attract international shoots.
Global trend of screen tourism: As “set-jetting” climbs in popularity, destinations that can package cinematic appeal into tourist offerings gain a new competitive edge.
Digital amplification: Bonus content on digital releases if they feature a deeper look at locations, extends the life of these campaigns far beyond the theatrical window, and then working with influencers and media directly keeps destinations visible in global travel searches for months after release.