Written by new-contact on Apr 10, 2012. Posted in On Location

Location filming on Peter Jackson’s Hobbit films to help boost Queenstown

Queenstown in New Zealand’s South Island is already a well-known global filming location, but production on Peter Jackson’s two hobbit films will boost its profile still further. A new report from Destination Queenstown reveals the films could help deliver NZD1 billion annually by 2015.

At the moment Queenstown welcomes nearly two million visitors a year, with a slight majority coming from outside New Zealand, the Otago Daily Times reports. The resort town is hugely popular as a commercials filming location because of its scenery and experienced crew base. Jackson recently returned to the area with his hobbit films after filming in the region on The Lord of the Rings trilogy ten years ago.

Our conference and incentive market continues to expand and our profile as a world-class film location is attracting more production companies and film crews.

Destination Queenstown

According to the outlet, the report states: "Another positive for Queenstown is business tourism. Our conference and incentive market continues to expand and our profile as a world-class film location is attracting more production companies and film crews."

New Zealand fought hard to keep hold of the hobbit films, in the process committing to a legal clarification of its employment law, as well as financial assistance with the marketing of the films. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is out in December 2012, with The Hobbit: There And Back Again due in December 2013.