If offering sweetheart deals to film makers is a permanent thing, is it worth the bother?
Last week I spoke with some people with the Anchorage Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. Did you know there are 9 different reality shows based in or focusing on Alaska?
The person I spoke to suggested that a film credit the state enacted a few years ago was at least partly responsible–and that the state was looking forward to attracting film crews that might bypass Michigan, should it curtail its tax breaks. (Someone tell me, is there any news on that front?)
When pressed, the representative mentioned two or three different productions that are either ongoing or recently completed. The one I remembered spent $16 million in the state.
In 2009, Alaska had a gross state product of $41 billion, so $16 million is a modest boost, at best. To put that in perspective, it would be like the average Michigan family getting a pay increase of $18.67–better than a poke in the eye, but not exactly enough to make a big difference.
But does the fact that people are watching Gold Rush Alaska from the comfort of their homes in the Lower 48 mean that Alaska will eventually benefit from increased tourism or business investment? That’s the hope, I would expect. The trade association for the tourism industry says tourism accounts for 5 percent of the state’s economy.
A theater-full of films might–might–boost that number slightly. But getting those films puts the state into the role of picking winners and losers among industries.
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