Paris braces for wave of 'Summer I Turned Pretty' tourism

"Emily is no longer the only doe-eyed American in Paris: Isabel 'Belly' Conklin, lead character in global TV phenomenon The Summer I Turned Pretty, has also moved to the French capital, burnishing its reputation for romance and escapism. The third series of the show ranked first in 120 countries on Amazon Prime when it kicked off in July - rivalling the success of Netflix phenomenon Emily in Paris, which did wonders for the city's image while provoking a backlash from some Parisians."

"The most recent episodes of The Summer I Turned Pretty took protagonist Belly (played by Lola Tung) to the "City of Light" to escape an imploding love triangle that forms the dramatic core of the series. Belly leaves her ex-fiance Jeremiah Fisher (Gavin Casalegno) to embark on a journey of self-discovery - following in the footsteps of numerous American on-screen heroines in search of love in France."

"Jenny Han, author of the original romance novels, suggested moving the final run to Paris, having dropped clues like Belly's French classes to referencing 1960s cinema classics earlier in the series. "Audrey Hepburn in Paris, coming into her own and becoming a young woman there, is so iconic I thought it would be so lovely if Belly could have that too," Han told the Los Angeles Times, referring to the 1950s and 60s screen icon's long association with the city."

"In the last three instalments, Paris provides the picturesque background in classic style, with its stereotypically rude waitstaff, sweet pastries and photogenic streets. Even though most fans thought that Belly's journey had come to an end with the last episode on September 17th, Han has announced a film is in the works with Amazon that will be the "final chapter"."

The Summer I Turned Pretty's third series transports protagonist Isabel 'Belly' Conklin to Paris as she escapes an imploding love triangle and leaves her ex-fiancé Jeremiah Fisher to pursue self-discovery. The series launched on Amazon Prime in July and ranked first in 120 countries, rivalling the popularity of Emily in Paris while Paris has previously experienced both image-boosting and local backlash from similar shows. The Paris episodes evoke Audrey Hepburn-era and 1960s cinema, featuring stereotypically rude waitstaff, pastries and photogenic streets. A feature film with Amazon is planned to serve as the story's final chapter.

Read at The Local France