007, the most famous secret agent in the world, will soon start filming the 24th Bond film, Spectre, in the Austrian Tirol. Actor Daniel Craig, will play Bond for the 4th time, embarking on his alpine adventures along with the other stars in the ski resorts of Sölden, in the Ӧtztal and Obertilliach, in the East Tirol region. This is the largest film production ever to be made in Tirol and will bring with it not only immediate economic benefits, but also long term media impact, creating future film-tourism opportunities.
The British production company B24 will begin filming over the next few weeks. As well as lead actor, Daniel Craig, other stars include Ralph Fiennes, Christoph Waltz, Monica Bellucci and Lea Seydoux, with Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Revolutionary Road and James Bond - Skyfall).
The Austrian Tirol beat off competition from other locations around the world that were also bidding to host the filming, including Norway and Italy.
In August the production office was set up in Sölden, ready to co-ordinate the planned filming, which is scheduled to take place from mid-January to February 2015. A total of 22 filming days are planned in the Tirol, and at its peak the film crew will consist of 500 people, including 150 local filming personel.
The economic benefit of this large-scale film project to the Tirolean region will be huge: taking into account production costs, with accommodation and meals, as well as transportation, accommodation and salaries of the local Tirolean filmmakers it is estimated that 6 million euros will be spent in Tirol.
The estimated boost to tourism during the filming alone is incredible, with about 26,000 overnight stays generated by the film crew in Tirol. The filming will also generate major media attention at an international level and also create future film-tourism opportunities for the Ötztal and lesser-known East Tirol region.
"Two strong brands in their own field combine in the stunning mountains of our region: James Bond and Tirol," says Josef Margreiter, Managing Director of Tirol Werbung and founder of Cine Tirol, who pointed to the promotional boost the film will have for the region, with an estimated global viewing audience of over 130 million when it is screened in Autumn 2015.
The resort of Sölden in the Ӧtztal is renowned for its excellent snow reliability with access to two high glaciers, impressive lift system and very lively apres-ski. Its consistently good snow conditions, along with over 140km of slopes make it one of the Europe’s top ski and snowboard destinations and is located close to Obergurgl-Hochgurgl. www.soelden.com
Geographically not part of northern Tirol, the village of Obertilliach is located in the Lesachtal of East Tirol and remains largely undiscovered to the UK ski market. Sitting at 1450m, the village has a population of just over 700 inhabitants and the small skiing area is popular for beginner skiers and families as well as a centre for Nordic sports. To learn more about the East Tirol and its ski resorts take a look at this video here. www.osttirol.com
For more information on the Tirol region www.visittirol.co.uk or keep updated at www.facebook.com/visittirol or @VisitTirol on twitter.
