Moviemaking is good for tourism
ALTHOUGH YOU may never have read J. R. Tolkein, you are probably one of the tens of millions of people around the world who have seen at least one of the three Lord of the Rings movies. If you are, you will almost certainly remember the stunning scenery that provided the backdrop.
All were filmed in New Zealand with support from that country’s tourism board and government and caused hundreds of thousands of travellers to visit the country from around the world.
At a quite different level, a relatively obscure but historic small town in England’s south-west and its dramatic nearby coastline now receives visitors year-round because of a hugely popular television series, Broadchurch, so that today there are associated vacations, tours, a trail, and quite literally dozens of websites promoting the locality as a mini-destination.
Surprisingly, the Caribbean has yet to fully embrace the idea that moviemaking, whether for cinema, television, or commercials, can help deliver significant numbers of additional visitors, if the relevant ministries, agencies and local industries are prepared to work with those who make and finance movies.
Attracting international productions to film on location is in general good for a country’s econo- my. It brings foreign exchange; significant short-term local expenditure; offers employment to a wide range of individuals from carpenters to fashion designers, caterers, lawyers and accountants; draws in other film, TV and commercial makers; and through exposure to best practice, helps enhance local skill levels, develops talent, and supports the creation of a sustainable domestic movie industry.
It is also brings significant shortand long-term gains for tourism.
In the short-term, movie makers create a substantial demand for accommodation, catering and transport. Those who work in the industry note, for example, that there must be quality hotel and villa accommodation available to house, often for weeks and sometimes months, the expensive talent involved and the crew. An able and efficient local service industry partner is essential to look after the complex, demanding and time- sensitive requirements of a highbudget production. Good quality transport is required to reach the sites where the movie is to be shot and there also has to be quality on-location catering.
But it is in the longer-term, big- budget movies in particular that offer more significant, lasting opportunities, particularly if the location chosen or offered then comes to be seen by moviegoers as a must-visit destination.
DYNAMIC CHANGE
As a fascinating on-line academic paper, ‘Tourist See Tourist Do: The Influence of -Hollywood Movies and Television on Tourism Motivation and Activity Behaviour’ points out: moviemaking has brought with it a “dynamic change in the world in terms of fashion, social status, behaviour, marketing, and tourism”, bringing with it a new marketing channel for consumer goods and services such as tourism.
For the most part, attracting international moviemakers involves government developing a package of incentives and rebates. Despite this, some in the Caribbean are reluctant to understand the value, or the factors that draw international moviemakers to choose where to film.
Jamaica, for example, has not seen any major foreign investment in film production since 2013, the year in which the Government, under IMF pressure, ended all fiscal incentives. Although the island’s new Fiscal Incentives Act offers capital allowances and relief on the importation of ‘tools of trade’, nothing has been put in place to replace the island’s Motion Picture Encouragement Act to sway international moviemakers to use the country as a location.
Speaking about this recently, Diane Edwards, the president of JAMPRO, said that encouraging moviemaking again in Jamaica will not only bring direct economic benefits and help tourism, but will also secure more jobs for Jamaicans working in the film industry, help sell the country’s creative outputs, and enlarge international awareness. Her hope is that a private equity fund now being discussed might become the vehicle for a rebate system that would once again put the island back on the map for moviemakers.
To date, the tourism sector in the region has said little on the topic at either a national or regional level. This should change. The value of film-induced tourism, aligned with national incentives, has a strong pedigree. It requires the industry’s serious study and support.