Czechia is strengthening the connection between international film production and tourism through a new partnership between the Czech Film Commission and CzechTourism. The initiative aims to convert the global exposure generated by films and television series shot in the country into tourism growth, regional investment and longer-term economic value.
Established through a memorandum of cooperation between the Czech Tourism Authority and the Czech Audiovisual Fund, the partnership will connect the country’s audiovisual promotion more closely with its international destination-marketing activities.
Through the partnership, films and series shot in Czechia will be used to promote the country not only as a production destination, but also as a place for audiences to visit. Joint activities are expected to include promotional campaigns, content centred on filming locations, information sharing, educational initiatives and the involvement of regional film offices.
The strategy reflects a growing awareness that the value of an international production can continue well beyond the filming period. Screen exposure can help introduce Czech cities, landscapes and cultural sites to international audiences, while successful productions may encourage visitors to seek out the locations they have seen in films and television series.
Extending the Value of International Productions
Czechia has long attracted international projects through its production infrastructure, experienced crews, architecture and range of locations. The new agreement is intended to build on those advantages by creating a more systematic link between incoming productions and tourism promotion.
CzechTourism and the Czech Film Commission will combine their respective expertise in destination marketing and audiovisual production. The Czech Film Commission works with filmmakers, municipalities, service providers and regional film offices, while CzechTourism promotes the country to both domestic and international visitors.
This cooperation could allow filming locations to be incorporated into tourism campaigns while productions are still generating public attention. It may also help less familiar destinations benefit from screen exposure, rather than concentrating film-related tourism around Prague and a small number of widely recognised castles and historic towns.
According to figures included in the official announcement, 48% of tourists surveyed in Czechia in 2024 visited a place connected to a film, television series or fairy tale. Nine per cent said they had specifically searched for filming locations.
Popular screen-related destinations already include Český Krumlov and the castles of Hluboká nad Vltavou, Bouzov, Červená Lhota and Karlštejn. The partnership aims to expand that interest to additional regions and locations that currently receive less international attention.
Film and television production can also generate immediate local spending. CzechTourism estimates that up to 60% of production expenditure may reach sectors outside the audiovisual industry, including hotels, transport providers, restaurants, construction companies, craftspeople and clothing businesses.
By connecting that short-term activity with longer-lasting tourism campaigns, Czech institutions are seeking to extend the economic impact of productions after crews have left. Regional destinations could benefit both from the services required during filming and from future visitors drawn by a project’s international release.
Veronika Slámová, director of the Czech Audiovisual Fund, described foreign productions filmed in Czechia as investments in the national economy. CzechTourism Director František Reismüller also highlighted the potential for film stories to introduce audiences to places beyond the country’s best-known attractions.
Specific campaigns, budgets and film-location itineraries have not yet been announced. However, the memorandum establishes a framework through which the Czech Film Commission, CzechTourism and regional partners can develop future activities together.
For the Czech audiovisual sector, the partnership represents an effort to measure the importance of international production more broadly. Rather than viewing a film or series only through the spending generated during its shoot, Czechia is positioning screen visibility as an asset that can support tourism, regional businesses and the country’s international profile over a much longer period.
