Athens: 60 million euros have been invested by film productions this year

With the aim of developing film tourism in Athens, the Minister of Tourism Mr. Haris Theocharis and the Mayor of Athens Mr. Costas Bakogiannis signed today a memorandum of cooperation, inaugurating a series of joint actions, within the Athens Film Office of the Municipality of Athens.

In the last year, Athens has been actively included in the world map of audiovisual producers through the Athens Film Office. Since its operation (March 2020) it has attracted more than 40 audiovisual productions, facilitating their shooting in the center and the districts of the capital.

These are medium and large productions, in many of which big names of the international cinema have starred, with the interest for Athens constantly increasing. Already, for the current year, the city has seen investments of about 60 million euros from film productions, a large part of which is expected to strengthen the domestic film industry. The signing of the memorandum aims to promote the capital abroad and attract tourism through international audiovisual producers.

The joint actions agreed between the Ministry of Tourism and the Athens Film Office of the Municipality of Athens focus mainly on educational programs aimed at audiovisual professionals and “cultivate” Athens as a film destination, as well as on a series of familiarization trips with guest foreign producers and representatives of international film studios in order to make the advantages of the destination known.

The Minister of Tourism, Mr. Haris Theocharis, in a statement emphasizes: “With the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Ministry of Tourism and the Municipality of Athens, we strengthen and consolidate, on a solid institutional basis, the framework of action of the Athens Film Office. Together with the Municipality of Athens, we proceed to the realization of the great vision for the promotion of Athens and, through it, of the whole of Greece, in a modern and effective way. The presence of the city in major international film productions ceases to be an opportunity that was never exploited and an eternal cherished desire. “Athens and Greece are now taking on the role of protagonist in the film industry, the role they really deserve.”

On his part, the Mayor of Athens, Mr. Costas Bakogiannis, pointed out: “The Athens Film Office, within a year, has proven that it can expand the cultural and tourist capital, not only of Athens but also of the country. It became the channel of communication of the city with international productions and opened another way of promotion and economic stimulation of the market, during a very difficult period. Its operation belongs to the strategy of the Municipality of Athens, which wants development to come from initiatives that start through the city, for the city. In this context, synergies such as the one we formalized today, strengthen the efforts of each side but also bring us closer to the common goal. ”

The memorandum was co-signed by the Development and Tourism Promotion Company of the Municipality of Athens (EATA), as the implementing body of the Athens Film Office. The president of EATA, Mrs. Melina Daskalaki stressed: “The Service Office of Film Producers of Athens proves every day that it is one of the most powerful “tools” we have for the tourist promotion of the city abroad. After attracting major international producers, whose shootings have stimulated the Athenian economy with hundreds of thousands of euros, the development of film tourism – which is the next stage – we expect to raise Athens even higher among the competitive destinations of Europe”.