Authorities in the north-central Vietnamese province of Quang Binh have locked in on a huge opportunity to promote local tourism after the filming of ‘Kong: Skull Island’ in the region.

Cha Noi Valley, Yen Phu Lake, and Chuot (Mouse) Cave in Minh Hoa District, where the blockbuster was filmed, remained quiet for years until the U.S. crew gave them a spotlight.

‘Kong: Skull Island’ filmmakers arrived in Vietnam on February 18 after finishing their shooting in Hawaii and Australia. The crew stayed in Quang Binh from February 22 to 25.

Since the news of the film shoot, people have started to pay attention to the remote, mountainous areas, and many want to take a trip to experience the landscape first-hand.

Ho An Phong, director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sport, and Tourism, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that authorities will establish a special tour allowing tourists to visit popular filming locations, turning them into tourist destinations.

Authorities also asked the crew to leave some props that they no longer use, including the model of a crashed aircraft which appears in ‘Kong: Skull Island’ opening scene, to serve as authentic decoration along the planned tour.

A model of King Kong, the giant ape, will also be placed in the area.

Tourists will be able to experience the feeling of being a star thanks to a new, special service offered by resorts where Hollywood stars like Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson, and Tom Hiddleston stayed during their time in Quang Binh.

Tran Tien Dung, deputy chairman of the People’s Committee of Quang Binh, said that the U.S. crew also predicted that a new wave of tourists will visit Vietnam after viewing the landscape in ‘Kong: Skull Island.’ “This is a great chance for Quang Binh to promote its tourism,” Dung emphasized, adding that provincial authorities have suggested local businesses develop tourism products to exploit the full potential.

During their time in Vietnam, Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson attracted tens of thousands of likes and hundreds of comments from their fans around the world on photos they shared depicting the country’s culture, landscape, people, and cuisine.

Some of them said they want to visit the Southeast Asian country to try delicious, traditional food such as ‘pho’ (Vietnamese beef noodle soup) and ‘banh mi’ (Vietnamese sandwich). On February 26, the U.S. filmmakers headed to Ninh Binh Province, where they continued their production at the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex.

The shooting in Vietnam is expected to end on March 18.

‘Kong: Skull Island’ tells the story of a group of adventurers who set foot on an uncharted island in the Pacific Ocean – one so breathtaking that people consider it unreal. Little did they know they just walked into the territory of the legendary King Kong.

The film, produced by Legendary Pictures and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, is expected to hit cinemas in March 2017.

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