Hollywood to make more films in Paris · 2007-04-14 16:31
According to AFP news agency, France is hoping to lure tourists by persuading Hollywood to shoot more films in the country.
French government officials attended the Locations Trade Show, an annual fair that puts potential film sites in the movie industry’s shop window.
“The direct income from foreign film productions in France was worth 100 million euros in 2005 and between 75 to 80 million euros in 2006,” Patrick Lamassoure, managing director of the French film commission, Film France, told AFP, adding that 50-60 percent of the money came from Hollywood.
Regional authorities in France were also increasingly aware of the benefits of attracting the film world, Lamassoure said.
A total of 19 companies and institutions from France were attending the Los Angeles trade fair whereas only three years ago there were none.
“A feature-length Hollywood production can generate around 300,000 euros a day to a local economy,” Lamassoure said. “So you can imagine the benefits a month-long shoot can have.”
“Cinema is a powerful tool for promoting tourism in our region,” said Olivier Della Suda, the manager of the Provence tourism board.
A recent study of tourists in France found that 62 percent had been “clearly” influenced by films when deciding their choice of holiday destination, according to Lamassoure.
With 76 million foreign visitors every year, France is the No.1 destination for tourists, an industry worth around 35 billion dollars ever year, Lamassoure said.
“There are films which are supposed to be made in France and which go to our neighbors for purely tax reasons,” he said, citing the example of Steven Spielberg’s thriller “Munich,” which saw the Hungarian capital Budapest transformed into Paris.
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