007 follows Tom Cruise to Austria

Luring a Bond film to shoot in your country is about as good as it gets in terms of economic benefits: for Spectre a local crew of around 150 people will be hired to make up the 500-strong unit, in locations including Sölden and Obertilliach in Tyrol and Altaussee in Styria, with pre-filming work getting underway this month.

The scale of the project is extremely valuable, both short term and long term. Quite apart from the spending during filming, such as accommodation and transport, there is a potential decades-long gain from the tourism created. An example of this in Austria is the Sound of Music tour, which still draws in around 300,000 visitors annually.

Location Austria, the national film commission, played a vital role in securing 007 and his vast entourage, using the Film Location Austria (FISA) funding model in co-operation with Location Austria and regional sponsors.

Arie Bohrer, film commissioner of Location Austria, said of the coup: “After long negotiations, Location Austria, a subsidiary of ABA Invest in Austria, was able to convince the producers that Austria fulfils the requirements for this project perfectly.”

Bond does already have a little history in Austria: sequences in both The Living Daylights and Quantum of Solace utilised the stunning scenery.

There are several funding options available to filmmakers from the Austrian federal and regional governments – click here for more information.