In a reflection of the popularity of reality TV, the visitors bureau added Lauren Conrad, a star of "The Hills," to its new $2-million tourism campaign, dubbed "That's So LA." Since calling itself LA Inc., the visitors bureau also has been getting requests for tattoo information from tourists who mistake it for the "LA Ink" series.
Reality show directors say they obscure home addresses and street names on television to discourage stalkers. But restaurants and shops frequented by the reality show characters are clearly identified for fans to visit.
The manager of High Voltage Tattoo estimates that 90% of its customers are fans of the TV show.
At Katsuya Hollywood, a pricey restaurant and bar on Hollywood Boulevard where scenes for "The Hills" were filmed, up to 40% of the weekend customers are curious tourists, according to a spokesman. Looky-loos at the eatery may get a glimpse of Speidi, the nickname for Spencer and Heidi Pratt, the recently married stars of "The Hills" and "I'm a Celebrity . . . Get Me Out of Here!"
"It definitely helps our business to have the built-in revenue generated by tourists," said Clint Clausen, senior vice president of operations for Katsuya Hollywood.
Several tour bus companies also have added reality show hot spots to the conventional sightseeing routes.
"Basically, if it comes up in the tabloids, we show it," said J.C. Spender, a tour operator for Hollywoodland Tours, whose drivers point out High Voltage Tattoo and Katsuya on tours. "We keep up with the times."
But perhaps because of the abysmal economic conditions, the fans who stop at the new tourist attractions have been tight with their spending, buying only inexpensive souvenirs.
At Dash and Smooch, the Calabasas boutique shops featured in "Keeping Up With the Kardashians," tourists routinely stop by to get a glimpse at the stars of the show, Kris Kardashian and her daughters, Khloe, Kourtney and Kim. The family members run the two boutiques on and off the air.
But tourists usually just buy candy or T-shirts, while regular customers tend to buy the big-ticket items, such as dresses or pants, said Sheiva Ghasemzadeh, a cashier at Smooch.
The same is true at Kitson, the North Robertson Avenue boutique in West Hollywood where Paris Hilton filmed scenes from her MTV reality show "Paris Hilton's My New BFF." The boutique's website proclaims that the store "has already become the favorite stop for many celebrities and the who's who in Hollywood."
