Permanent secretary for Tourism Shaheen Ali is confident that there is a lot of potential in the country's audio visual and film sector.

In opening the first formal Audio Visual Agents Consultation Seminar at Suva's Tanoa Plaza Hotel last week, Mr Ali said last year the sector contributed 0.2 per cent of the GDP and earned over $55million direct income.

He said the industry also provided employment opportunities to 440 locals in various productions.
"The income generated from the industry has increased significantly by over 220 per cent and the number of productions increased from 28 in 2013 to 52 in 2014," Mr Ali said.

"In 2014, the budget of all the productions in Fiji totalled $19.5m of which, $15.5m was actually spent in Fiji, which is approximately 79 per cent of the total production cost."

He said the increase in money being retained in the country could be termed as remarkable.
"Apart from the direct benefits, the production of films and shows in Fiji increases the visibility of our country on the international stage, which in turn promotes and boosts the tourism sector by driving visitor's arrival," he said.

Mr Ali said with the Fijian Government increasing the amount of film rebates from 35 per cent to 47 per cent has helped in making Fiji one of the most attractive filming destinations in the world.
He said the Government was also considering introducing rebate schemes in television commercials.