Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- From the first day of 2020, the rebate system will be launched and the exhibition of domestic film locations LocationEXPOuz will be held for the first time.

The National Pavilion of Uzbekistan at international film events will be organized annually. The funding will be allocated for the implementation of tasks to provide gratuitous organizational and industrial and technical assistance to foreign film companies, which will undoubtedly give a big breakthrough in the development of film tourism.

According to the decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On measures for the further development of the tourism sector in the Republic of Uzbekistan” from 1 January 2020, Uzbekistan will reimburse part of the cost (“rebate”) of foreign film companies, when creating audiovisual production in the Republic of Uzbekistan. The funds will be compensated from the State budget of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the amount of up to 20 percent of the film spent on the film, subject to certain conditions.

“Rebate” - reimbursement of the cost of filmmaking by the authorities of the places where the shooting takes place and allows the country in which the film was shot to return to the producers a part of the money spent on the film, subject to certain conditions.

Now Uzbekistan is entering a worthy fight for film producers, on which not only the flow of tourists and the image of the country depend, but also the budget spent on the project that remains in the country.

For the first time in Uzbekistan, the annual exhibition of domestic film locations “LocationEXPOuz” will be organized, which will be held as part of the PROlogue International Film Festival. “LocationEXPOuz” is a show, introducing our domestic film locations, production and technical conditions for filming with film producers, film companies and local managers from around the world, with the aim of attracting foreign film production and co-productions in the Republic of Uzbekistan.

According to the document, the organization of the National Pavilions of Uzbekistan at international film events and the organization of the annual exhibition of domestic film locations “LocationEXPOuz” within the framework of the International Film Festival “PROlogue”, with the aim of promoting domestic cinema, film location, cinema tourism and the “rebate” system, and also, the provision of free organizational and industrial and technical assistance to foreign film companies will be carried out from the National Film Commission of Uzbekistan.

The State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan for the Development of Tourism, the National Agency "Uzbekkino" and the Youth Union of Uzbekistan are tasked with the annual allocation of funds for the implementation of the above tasks.

And also, at the expense of the extrabudgetary Tourism Support Fund under the State Committee for Tourism Development, grants will be allocated for the filming of feature films, short films, documentaries and chronicles about historical and legendary figures of Uzbekistan in the amount of 30 percent of the project cost, but not more than 3 billion soums.

An analysis of the experience of developed foreign countries suggests that stimulating world famous film companies to shoot movies in a particular country, cinema tourism is used as a powerful marketing tool to increase tourist flow, attract investment and strengthen service infrastructure.

In order to attract well-known film companies to the shooting of box office movies, countries around the world offer them different types of stimulating mechanisms.

According to studies, “Global Tourism And Travel Competitive Intelligence Research” in the period from 2015 to 2017, thanks to films, more than 80 million movie travelers traveled around the world. The main destinations for cinema travel in 2018 were the cities of the countries of the United Arab Emirates, China, USA, Japan, Greece, Georgia, etc.

Today, in 97 regions of the world, the state provides incentives for foreign film companies using the Rebate system - reimbursement from 10% to 35% of expenses.

In order to implement the tasks of providing free of charge organizational and industrial and technical assistance to foreign film companies in the production of film production, the State establishes and finances National Film Commissions in the form of non-profit organizations.