The visit to New York by Council of Majorca representatives did not only focus on trying to attract direct air routes and promote tourism, it also offered the opportunity to talk to film producers.
The Majorca Film Commission, which falls under the Council's Tourism Foundatlon, gave a presentation in which locations and tax incentives were highlighted. The latest version of the commission's movie map - an interactive application that was launched last year - was used to draw attention to locations such as Palma and the Tramuntana Mountains. The world heritage status of the mountains was emphasised.
The map also features scenes from productions shot in Majorca and stories about actors and actresses. Cloud Atlas, which starred Tom Hanks and Halle Berry, is one. Going back in time to 1962, Bahia de Palma with Elke Sommer is another.
Various producers expressed an interest in filming on the island. The president of the Council of Majorca, Miquel Ensenyat, described the island as an "ideal destination" for shooting films, TV series and advertisements. He added that much more can be done in order to promote filming, which in turn would reinforce the Majorca tourism "brand" and be a boost the local audiovisual sector, which has "great quality and professionalism".
The Majorca Film Commission, like Palma's own film commission, provides assistance with identifying locations and with the bureaucratic procedures that filming entails. The commission recognises that there is a great deal of untapped potential in Majorca. Cloud Atlas and The Night Manager have been exceptions rather than the rule, but with the former there were problems with paying the producers a grant that had been promised. It wasn't vast - 150,000 euros - but the delay in it being paid to the US producers by the Council of Majorca did create some unnecessary ill-feeling.
As well as the knock-on promotional benefits that filming can offer for tourism, it is a form of tourism in its own right. Local businesses do benefit directly; the filming of Love Island has provided a case in point. But the real benefits come from major productions. The film commission in Andalusia is Spain's oldest, and the region does attract high-profile productions. Wonder Woman 1984 is an example. Almeria has been a location, and hotels, restaurants and other business have enjoyed something of a bonanza.
