Berlin, April 2nd, 2014 Films and TV series filmed in the Berlin region are attracting a significant number of visitors to the city: ten per cent of tourists coming to Germany’s capital have been inspired to visit due to the city’s role in films and TV series. Film-fan tourism as a result of productions such as “Monuments Men,” “Unknown Identity,” and “Don 2” is bringing approximately 333 million Euros to Berlin each year, with a tourism impact equalling 134 million Euros. These were the findings of the latest study of the Berlin-Brandenburg media board, sponsored by visitBerlin.

Burkhard Kieker, CEO of visitBerlin, comments: “Berlin owes its rise to the top 3 travel destinations in Europe to a substantial part to the film industry. The presence of celebrities living in Berlin while filming and because Berlin so often serves as a setting for major international film productions has strengthened interest in our authentic metropolis a million-fold.”

Each year, more than 300 German and international films are filmed in interesting locations across the Berlin region, with film and tourism mutually reinforcing one another. Visitors to filming locations, cinemas, about 70 film festivals and the Berlinale (Berlin International Film Festival) are all important drivers for the Berlin tourism industry. The city’s hundred or so cinemas, the most in any German city, also benefit from and contribute to this draw to Berlin.

Film-makers opting for Berlin

Berlin takes a top position for German and international TV and film producers, far above Munich, Cologne, and Hamburg. Respondents appreciate the mix of authentic film locations with unique sets, excellent production conditions, qualified professionals, creative lifestyles and relatively low costs. Four times the 23,9 million Euros spent on film-making in the city is spent around the city in its hotels, restaurants, etc.. The study reveals that Berlin offers something for the whole production chain – including a vibrant restaurant and hotel scene as well as great cosmopolitan options for actors and film crews to explore during their down time.

The “Film and TV Production in Berlin-Brandenburg – a Regional Comparative Study” can be downloaded here.