Location, Location, Location!

Hawaii, it’s time for your close up. Actors may score the accolades at the Oscars (they’re this Sunday!), but there are landscapes with as much presence and compelling beauty as any star. The Kauai of The Descendants is a prime example. Who doesn’t want to step through the celluloid and walk in George Clooney’s shoes for awhile (without the family tragedy, of course)?

Movies move us both emotionally and physically. Locations depicted on screen often see a boost in tourism. Take New Zealand, which saw hordes of visitors with the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Officials in Mississippi say The Help also lured crowds to the state.

National Geographic Traveler canvassed production designers, cinema professors, location scouts, and our own DVD collections in search of the most memorable destinations on the silver screen — and the votes are in. Check out our picks.

Photo: Anna Kaurich/My Shot