Walking on Sunshine:A Case Study on Apulia’s Screen Tourism Strategy

AuthorsNicola Curzio @nicolacurzio

Contact address euroscreen@filmlondon.org.uk

EditorialFilm London, Apulia Film Commission and the EuroScreen Partnership

London, UK 2015

Cover image: Walking on Sunshine. Courtesy of Vertigo Films

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Contents

Introduction to EuroScreen ...........................................................................4

EuroScreen Partners ........................................................................................................ 5

1. Location Background ...................................................................................................... 6

2. Film and Tourism .........................................................................................8

2.1 Apulia Film Commissions (AFC) .................................................................................9

2.2 Pugliapromozione ...........................................................................................................9

2.3 Walking on Sunshine ......................................................................................................10

2.4 The promotional campaign - We Are In Puglia ........................................................10

2.5 Outcomes ........................................................................................................................11

3. Conclusion ....................................................................................................12

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Introduction to EuroScreen

EuroScreen is an INTERREG IVC funded partnership of regional development agencies, film commissions, municipalities and academia. The partnership works to strengthen cooperation between the screen and tourism sectors through the alignment of policies and strategies.

There are multiple opportunities for these two industries to benefit from collaboration to generate growth and income. Beyond the immediate investment generated by hosting a production, film and television create promotional opportunities for cities, regions and countries by attracting tourists to screen locations. They also significantly shape and enhance the brand and perception of on-screen destinations. Cities and regions therefore have the opportunity to engage with a worldwide audience in a different way and drive interest and actual visitors to their respective destinations.

EuroScreen has built a breadth of resources, promoting good practice examples in screen tourism, sharing knowledge and commissioning research to assess location placement value.

Working across nine organisations in eight EU regions, EuroScreen has enabled participating regions to engage with their key stakeholders and drive screen tourism in their region. The project has put screen tourism on the regional agenda.

www.euroscreen.org.uk@EuroScreen2

For any questions, contact Matti Allameuroscreen@filmlondon.org.uk

EuroScreen Partners

Film London (UK), Lead Partner Apulia Film Commission (Italy)Bucharest Ilfov Regional Development Agency (Romania)Fondazzjoni Temi Zammit (Malta)Rzeszow Regional Development Agency (Poland)Municipality of Ystad (Sweden)Maribor Development Agency (Slovenia)PRO MALAGA (Spain)Lund University Department of Service Management (Sweden)

Partners

Consultants

Funders

Agenţia pentru Dezvoltare Regională Bucureşti-Ilfov

European UnionEuropean Regional Development Fundd

EuroScreen Partners

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1. LOCATION BACKGROUND

Lecce, Italy. Photo: Franco Mantegani

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1. Location Background

Apulia is a region in Italy situated at the south-eastern tip of the Italian peninsula. Sometimes described as the ‘heel’ of the Italian ‘boot’, Apulia includes six provinces and has a population of approximately 4.1million.

Because of its strategic position and favourable climate, Apulia has often been targeted for conquest and was the scene of historic battles. First colonised by Mycenaean Greeks, it subsequently hosted the ancient Romans, the Normans, Suebi and the Spanish, among others, becoming part of Italy in 1861. Its territory is scattered with a variety of architectural and historical monuments - signs and tracks of its lively history.

Apulia has a wide range of landscapes and environments, making it one of the most fascinating and charming areas in Italy and thus an extremely attractive destination for filmmakers. From the Gargano to Salento, through Murgia’s area and the Itria Valley, Apulia’s territories have seen numerous film crews shooting on location.

The film Walking on Sunshine, explored in greater detail below, shot in Salento, the south-eastern peninsular extension of Apulia, on locations in Lecce, Nardò and Torre San Giovanni (Ugento). Salento’s area is characterised by sunny fields, endless olive trees, hundreds of roads and alleys lost in the countryside, coastlines and beaches warmed by the hard sun and refreshed by crystal-clear sea. Walking on Sunshine sinks its roots in this land portraying its colours, light and freshness on the screen.

2. FILM AND TOURISM

Walking on Sunshine. Courtesy of Vertigo Films.

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2.1 Apulia Film Commissions (AFC)

AFC is the Apulia Regional Development Agency’s vehicle for policy development for the screen sector, established in 2007 under regional legislation. AFC plays a central role in the local audio visual sector.

The AFC Foundation aims to strengthen the image of Puglia through film and television productions, thereby having a positive impact on tourism and continuing to develop film tourism.

AFC promotes locations across Apulia for film and television productions while encouraging and developing the region’s film culture. The Foundation provides four different funds for filmmakers to shoot their production in the region. These are the Apulia National & International Film Fund, the Apulia Regional Film Fund, the Apulia Development Film Fund and the Apulia Hospitality Fund. All of these funds facilitate filming in the region and help promote Apulia through screen production.

AFC offers a range of free services to production companies, including script screening, location scouting, assistance with permits and negotiation of various fees, locations surveys, casting, local technical workers and a production guide database of the local audiovisual sector.

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2.2 Pugliapromozione

The Regional Tourism Agency, Pugliapromozione, is a non-profit public body. It is the operational tourism body for the region, established by the Presidential Decree of the Apulia Regional Council. It implements policies to help promote the region, along with specific tourism destinations.

Pugliapromozione’s main objectives are to develop tourist marketing plans, cooperate with local tourist areas to define holiday package offers, develop regional tourist policy and engage with a variety of different stakeholders.

One of the agency’s key stakeholders is the AFC, and the two bodies collaborate to expand promotional opportunities and reach a wider, global audiences in order to promote Apulia as a holiday destination through film and television productions. This is a new promotional tool for the region.

2.3 Walking on Sunshine (2014)

An example of a collaboration between AFC and Pugliapromozione is the promotional campaign surrounding the release of the British film Walking on Sunshine.

Walking on Sunshine is a Vertigo Films production, entirely shot in Apulia in autumn 2013. The film features covers of hit songs from the 1980s and stars singer-songwriter Leona Lewis in her debut role. The plot concerns a love story between Maddie and Raf, who decide to marry in Apulia. When Maddie’s sister Taylor reaches Apulia on a visit, there is a dramatic turn of events: Taylor finds out that Maddie’s future husband is the man she fell in love with the summer before. A musical journey ensues to find out who Raf will ultimately choose to be walking on sunshine with.

The production benefitted from Apulia Film Commission’s National/International Film Fund for a grant of € 270,6291. This grant provided a major return on investment for Apulia itself, with the production company spending some €1,237,5282 in the region – more than four times the amount of the original grant. This created job opportunities and provided a clear boost to local businesses who were involved in providing services throughout the shoot. These included catering services, hotels and apartments, car rental, travel agencies, and those providing technical services, costumes, swimsuits and jewellery.

2.4 The Promotional Campaign - We Are In Puglia

To coincide with the release of Walking on Sunshine, a targeted promotional campaign called ‘We are in Puglia’ was created. Intertwined with the advertising of the film, the campaign sought to promote the film and the region simultaneously, thus encouraging audiences to visit the locations featured on screen. The campaign targeted many European cities through advertising posters in underground stations and on buses. Furthermore, Pugliapromozione launched ‘Puglia Village’ in targeted cities such as Vienna, Berlin, Paris and London.

1. Apulia Film Commission website2. Ibidem

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Puglia Village offered an interactive area where visitors were able to experience some of the region’s atmosphere through food, music and other activities, thus engaging audiences and encouraging them to visit.

The campaign extended to social media, especially on twitter where the hashtag #WeAreInPuglia reached more than two million unique users. The campaign included an audience competition with the chance to win a trip to Apulia to visit the locations used in Walking on Sunshine.

2.5 Outcomes

The collaboration between Apulia Film Commission and Pugliapromozione resulted in a successful promotional campaign with local economic benefits.

Walking on Sunshine opened in 360 theatres worldwide on 27 June 2014 and took €633,400 in its opening weekend. As of 23 July 2014, it has grossed €2,993,412 worldwide3. Against an investment from the AFC of €270,629 the production spent €1,237,528 in Apulia.

Pugliapromozione Tourism Observatory has recently published data on incoming tourists for the first eight months of 20144. The following data shows the growth rate compared to incoming tourists in August 2013:

• Arrivals in Apulia: +5%• Actual stay in Apulia: + 2%• 20% of tourists in Apulia are from abroad o Europe: +50% from Poland, +13% from France, + 21% from Austria, + 3% from Germany, +11% from USA, +16% from Netherlands, +6% from UK, + 3% from Switzerland o Worldwide: +30% from Canada, + 18% from Brazil, + 60% from India, + 29% from Turkey• 77% of international tourists are first-time visitors

The data shows that international tourists choose Apulia for their holidays if they can stay at least one week and typically book their holiday at least one month before departure. Although it has not yet been possible to establish exactly how much Walking on Sunshine has contributed to this increase, there is no doubt about its positive effect.

3. Walking on Sunshine International Box Office Results, Box Office Mojo, Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 23 July 20144. “Tourism in Puglia in the first eight months of 2014”, Britain is GREAT website

3. CONCLUSION

Walking on Sunshine. Courtesy of Vertigo Films

3. Conclusion

• Walking on Sunshine and the ‘We Are In Puglia’ promotional campaign provide a positive example of a valuable cooperation between public agencies when it comes to promoting a destination.

• Year on year, Apulia is becoming one of the most attractive locations for filming in Italy. The region has hosted productions from all over the world, including Hollywood and Bollywood productions. At the same time, the number of tourists visiting the region is growing.

• The return on investment for productions shooting in Apulia is significant, amounting to as much as as 1:4, as in the case of Walking on Sunshine. This is in addition to an increase in tourism impact.

• Apulia Film Commission and Pugliapromozione are benefiting from strategic partnership work to maximise the benefits of filming in the region for tourism growth.

• Apulia Film Commission has integrated screen tourism into their strategy for attracting and facilitating filming in the region.