Date:03/12/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/12/03/stories/2005120301390800.htm

Back Switzerland Tourism woos Indian filmmakers

K.V. Kurmanath

Apart from assistance in Switzerland, Indian producers might also get travel discounts, sometimes even free travel, to fly there.

Hyderabad , Dec. 2

INDIAN film producers and directors, who have not been to Switzerland for their shoots, can go there and scout for tested and untested locales before taking their crew there. They will be guided in their search by Switzerland Tourism and other service providers.

To woo Indian filmmakers, Switzerland Tourism has decided to aggressively promote the Scouting Package.

The package offers several sops to Indian producers and directors who might shoot a portion of their movies in that country.

Switzerland is a popular destination for Indian film shoots, with an average of 18-20 films being shot there every year. This has been consistent for the last five years.

Mr Federico Sommaruga, Switzerland Tourism Director for Russia/CIS, India, GCC and Emerging Markets, told Business Line here they would provide assistance to one producer and one or two technicians to go around the probable destinations for their film shoots.

Mr Federico was here as part of the all-India roadshow to promote Switzerland tourism.

"We will arrange for transport and make land arrangements. We will help them understand the locales," he said.

For seasoned producers who have canned the exquisite locales in Switzerland, the package offers new destinations.

Apart from assistance in Switzerland, the Indian producers might also get travel discounts, sometimes even free travel, to fly there.

Mr Rayomand Choksi, Regional Manager (India) of Titlis Rotair, which offers a variety of services to tourists, said Indian filmmakers were actually the brand ambassadors for Switzerland. "By showing our destinations in their movies, they in fact sell the idea to the general public. This will be of great help to our tourism sector," he said.

With the demand from filmmakers growing, the Swiss hotel industry is gearing up to woo them by offering Indian cuisine.

"Take, for example, Hotel Terrace in Engelberg. It has six Indian chefs. And no wonder a number of Indian (film) units come and stay there," he said.