Holiday like a film star

IT may sound daft, but every year Abta, the Association of British Travel Agents, produce a report of forecast popular holiday destinations based on blockbuster TV series and movies shot there during the previous year. It really all began with the Bond film choosing many of the world's unknown but spectacular locations to film and than many hit films such as Star Wars and the English Patient (Tunisia) and more recently the Lord of the Rings trilogy which has turned New Zealand into a Mecca, not only for fans of the film, but also other blockbuster productions. So, will this new era in the Balearics audiovisual sector pay similar dividends.

Not only is the island being used as a back drop, it is actually having TV series and films set on the island such as Mad Dogs and the forthcoming Holiday in Majorca starring Harvey Keitel next year.

Mamma-Mia! fuelled a huge surge in bookings to Greece.
But The Inbetweeners, which was filmed partly here in Majorca, although not set here, has had an adverse affect on the island.
It was actually, and sadly, set in the resort of Malia, Crete and apart from taking record amounts of money at the box office in the UK, the film has also really caught people's eyes and travel agents are reporting massive surges in demand for holidays to Malia.

So, while we have got the big productions coming in, what we now need is to increase the number of TV series and films set in the Balearics.