Business tourism aspects of film tourism: The case of Budapest

Although the research field of film tourism has become increasingly popular, the business tourism related aspects of film tourism have received less academic attention. The aim of the present paper is to investigate the tourism related aspects of film productions in a certain location. The focus is on the case of Budapest, a Central European city that has hosted numerous international film productions in the last two decades. The findings of the paper show that filmmakers and above-the-line-crew members are long-stay business travellers who constitute an important segment of the city's tourism and hospitality sector. The case of Budapest evidences that the institutional and policy support through tax credits and incentives aimed to enhance co-productions and to attract international productions offer benefits for the local film industry as well as for the tourism sector. Although the policy support is narrowly focusing on the immediate economic benefits of foreign film productions without constructing a long-term strategy to boost local film industry and to reinforce Hungary's visibility through the wide media exposure.