Sometimes we are too prone to think that countries like Italy, rich in artistic, historical, natural, and culinary traditions, barely need any promotion as tourist destinations.
Thanks to its stunning landscapes, fascinating lifestyle, and quality manufacturing, Italy is also supposed to attract investments and business ventures eager to establish a relationship with one of the most industrialized countries in Europe and the world.
Yet this perception is not entirely true, especially in the aftermath of an economic crisis that has affected so many different sectors. Extraordinary countermeasures, mainly in the form of tax breaks, are required in order to boost the Italian economy through both national and foreign investments.
In this context, one of the latest regulations enforced by the Italian government provides incentives for international investors in the fields of art, culture, and tourism, aimed at promoting new collaborations and re-launching Italy’s image.
This includes supporting the so-called Great Pompeii Project to preserve and restore the archaeological site, upgrading tourist accommodation facilities with special focus on information technologies, encouraging arts patronage, and facilitating access to foreign capital by the Italian film industry.
The controversial “Art Bonus” was approved 6 months ago and it is now starting to bear fruit, in particular regarding cinema.
In fact, after a long period of distress, the Italian equivalent to Hollywood is finally returning to operation thanks to a ministerial decree granting increased tax credits and benefits to foreign companies willing to film in Italy. These have already earned Cinecittà approximately 150 million euros in international investment, intended to fund the production of big-screen movies scheduled for release over the next few years.
Among them are the remake of the 11 Academy Award-winning Ben Hur (1959), produced by the American Metro Goldwyn Mayer and coming out in 2016; the latest episode of the 007 saga, to be filmed in Rome in 2015 by director Sam Mendes and starring Hollywood actor Daniel Craig; the long-awaited sequel of Zoolander by and with Ben Stiller, produced by Paramount Pictures; and Christ The Lord: Out Of Egypt, based on Anne Rice’s novel and shooting in the city of Matera, in Basilicata region, which has recently been awarded the title of 2019 European Capital of Culture.
Furthermore, for an entire year Cinecittà studios will be hosting the international co-production (Sky Italia, BSKYB, SkyDE) inspired by the famous comic book series Diabolik, with the collaboration of multiple award winning set designer Dante Ferretti.
In an interview, Italian Minister of Cultural Heritage and Activities Dario Franceschini, a strong advocate of the Art Bonus, commented: “This is a remarkable achievement for our country, which is still capable of drawing the attention of the world movie industry by offering unique locations and facilities, not only in Cinecittà but throughout Italy. Hosting high-level productions represents the best way to promote the Bel paese as an appealing tourist destination: a movie that showcases Italian beauty is worth hundreds of thousands of commercial advertisements on international television.”
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