Top 10 movie inspired travel destinations 

Source: ReutersIndia luxury train "Royal Rajasthan on Wheels"

Oscar favourite Slumdog Millionaire has shone the spotlight on the Indian city of Mumbai, recently named the hottest film-inspired destination by travel website Expedia.

In the heat of awards season, the online travel website has compiled their top 10 movie destinations, inspired by movies.

Kyoto, Japan has come in number two, thanks to the 2005 flick, Memoirs of a Geisha, and The Motorcycle Diaries (2004) earned various sites in South America the bronze.

Marketing manager for the Australian wing of Expedia Louise Hurbert-Burns says movies are a major drawcard for a destination.

"(They) have a powerful ability to evoke a sense of the exotic of the locations in which they are filmed, and they are widely acknowledged to inspire travel to those destinations," she says.

"For travellers, the fascination of picturing scenes in the film and then comparing it to the real life version can lead to a strange sense of deja vu, particularly for those who have seen the movie several times".

Top 10 Movie Inspired Destinations:

1. Mumbai, India - Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

2. Kyoto, Japan - Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)

3. South America (various countries) - The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)

4. New Zealand - Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

5. Scotland - Braveheart (1995)

6. Transylvania, Romania - Bram Stokers Dracula (1992)

7. America (various locations) - Thelma & Louise (1991)

8. Florence, Italy - A Room with a View (1986)

9. Kenya - Out of Africa (1985)

10. Salzburg, Austria - The Sound of Music (1965)