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Jaunted Awards 2012 / Travel Awards 2012 / The Jauntys / The Hobbit / Air New Zealand / Movie Travel / → All Tags

The Best Travel Movie of 2012 is...

It's that time of the year again, the time when the year just plain ends. Alas, we can't just let 2012 go that easily, especially since travelers spent it both up in the air and up in arms over a crazy range of topics. Needless to say, we're ready for 2013, but first we're taking a brief look back at the best of 2012 with the Jaunted Travel Awards,—or as we fondly refer to them—The Jauntys.

There were dozens of movies released in 2012 that inspired audiences to travel, but none more or with stronger travel brand tie-ins than The Hobbit.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, and The Lord of the Rings movies before it have created a new, booming tourism industry for New Zealand, where they were filmed.

Tourism New Zealand has embraced the movies and now proudly welcomes visitors to "Middle-earth" in airports, hotels, and on their website. They've also created one, two, and three-week excursions where Hobbit fans can visit filming locations across the country, including Hobbiton and the Weta Workshop in Wellington where many of the movie's props and special effects were perfected.

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New Zealand Preps for 'The Hobbit' with Tours, Museums, and a Couple of Planes

Fans of The Hobbit had plenty to be thankful for at San Diego Comic-Con. Of course there was the Hall H panel that included the debut of four full scenes from the films, but fans also got a peek at some of the Hobbit-themed tourist attractions getting ready for the first film's debut later this year.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey doesn't hit theaters until December 14, but the Hobbiton Movie Set Tours are already gearing up for the influx of fans expected to visit Hobbiton this year. The site is just one of over 30 tourist experiences that showcase The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit locations across New Zealand.

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'The Hobbit' Filming Location to Become a Permanent Tourist Attraction in NZ

After weeks of uncertainty, its been confirmed that The Hobbit will soon begin shooting in the same location where The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy was shot- New Zealand.

But, the difference is, this time they aren't skimping on set design. Instead of building temporary sets, as they did for The Lord Of The Rings movies, the crew is creating permanent structures for the film in hopes that The Hobbiton will become a permanent tourist attraction.

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Pack Your Bilbo Baggins: 'The Hobbit' Returns to New Zealand

The Hobbit, the prequel movie to the Lord of the Rings film trilogy, is expected to start filming in March 2010 in New Zealand. While the exact locations in Kiwi country are still up in the air, redevelopment has begun at Hobbiton, according to a company spokesperson.

If you're not familiar with Hobbiton, don't worry, we won't judge you. It's a very geeky, middle earth kind of thing to be acquainted with.

For those who aren't Bilbo Baggins fanboys, Hobbiton is a private farmland in Matamata, New Zealand where the Hobbit Village was created and filmed for the Lord of the Rings movies. After filming, most of the farm was returned to its original state but 17 Hobbit holes and structures have been kept open for two-hour guided tours.

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