Superior Tourism Commission announces Film Production Incentive
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 9, 2023 (Superior, WI)The Superior Tourism Commission now welcomes film production crews to sleep and cater in Superior with a new incentive. Film, TV, and commercial productions can apply for a 25% rebate on qualified lodging, food, and catering expenditures made in Superior. The Superior Tourism Development Committee has earmarked $20,000 for this program. According to the Upper Midwest Film Office, productions fuel the economy. The recent movie Merry Kiss Cam, which was filmed in Duluth, rented more than 900 nights in hotel and Airbnb rooms in the city. “Having Superior be an option for hotels and catering is a game changer” says Riki McManus, Chief Production Officer, Upper Midwest Film Office. “There are many times when we have a shortage of hotels and caterers available for projects. That can be a reason for projects to go elsewhere. This helps to alleviate some of that hurdle in attracting large projects to the region.”
Having a film crew sleep in Superior could be good for local businesses as they will be more likely to dine out, shop in local stores, and experience what Superior has to offer. Incentives are risk-free ways to attract productions as there is no up-front investment from the commission. After a project wraps, all receipts for catering, craft services, and lodging spent in Superior are audited and a 25% rebate is issued on qualified expenses. UMFO is the administrator of the program and is responsible for verifying the spending, marketing, and other administrative details.
This is possibly the only current film incentive in the state. The previous state tax film credit was dropped in 2013. More information can be found HERE.
Film and tourism: according to Wikipedia: Film-induced tourism is one of the fastest-growing sectors in tourism currently. It emerged as a prominent form of tourism in the 1990s. Before its emergence as a unique driver of the tourism industry. For destinations, films provide long-term tourism revenue. The appearance of a particular area in a film or television can have a huge effect on the number of visitors of an already existing place and create a new kind of tourism to the area and generate a boost for the local economy. On average, a film can increase tourism and revenue by almost 31%. According to former Tourism Commissioner JoAnn Jardine, “This will put heads in Superior beds which is what this commission was created to do.”