Are your clients eagerly awaiting the U.S. film adaptation of the Stockholm-set The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, due in theaters this December? They're not alone, and if the world's response to the highly acclaimed Swedish adaptation of the books (called the Millennium trilogy) is any indication, Stockholm's tourism numbers may continue to rise as fans flock to locations mentioned in the books.
The Millennium films have generated substantial aggregate economic effects in the Stockholm region in terms of marketing, jobs, trade and tourism, according a new report produced by Cloudberry in collaboration with Oxford Research, commissioned by Filmregion Stockholm-Mälardalen, Stockholm Business Region Development, the Sörmland Regional Council, the Municipality of Nyköping and Film i Sörmland.
“The study shows that film is virtually unbeatable when it comes to marketing a region and a city. We also see the power of films to create jobs and economic growth at the local and regional levels,” said Anders Ekegren, chairman of Filmregion Stockholm-Mälardalen.
The Swedish films have already been seen in the cinema by more than 20 million people worldwide. The estimated marketing value of the exposure of the region has been set at $154 million, and the report strongly indicates that the films have boosted the city's tourism numbers since their release.
“The film industry is a significant part of the creative industries that are so important to the competitiveness of the Stockholm region. This study confirms that film is also a strategic tool for marketing Stockholm internationally,” says Olof Zetterberg, CEO of Stockholm Business Region.
More than 10,000 tourists annually take the guided Millennium Tour offered by the Stockholm City Museum. They are joined by tourists who visit Millennium locations on their own. It is difficult to precisely measure the Millennium effect on tourism as opposed to other attractions, however, as people may visit for other reasons but incorporate the series into their overall experience.
The study did not take into account the American Millennium production, much of which is being filmed on location in the region.
