The popular media, such as literature, television and cinema films, can increase visitor numbers to featured destinations. This study investigates the success of the novel and subsequent film Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, both set on the island of Cephallonia. Data was collected from British tourists departing the island at the end of their holiday. As a tourist-motivating factor, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin was found to consciously influence holiday choice for a minority of British tourists, with most destination decisions centring on other factors, such as verbal recommendation. Tourists who first visited Cephallonia after release of the novel, rather than the film, desire unchanged or less promotion, suggesting a dichotomy of motivation when compared to those visiting since film production. This study advances existing knowledge in the niche area of film and literary tourism, relating tentative findings to the conceptual models.