FilmQuest

What FilmQuest does

FilmQuest is a film tourism consulting firm that has advised tourism managers, film commissioners, and destination marketing organisations on monetising film-induced tourism since 2006. It is operated by Dr. Stefan Roesch, who holds a PhD in Film Tourism from the University of Otago and is recognised within the industry as the leading global authority in this niche. The firm serves national and regional tourism boards, film commissions, and DMOs, with documented engagements for VisitBritain, Fáilte Ireland, Tourism Northern Ireland, Czech Tourism, VisitDenmark, the Royal Film Commission of Jordan, Cine Tirol Film Commission, Film London, Enterprise Dunedin, the Association of Film Commissioners International, and multiple newer commissions across Latin America and the Middle East.

FilmQuest's offering is a set of bespoke advisory services rather than a software product. Core deliverables include film tourism feasibility studies (using a proprietary catalogue of success indicators developed over more than a decade), tourism-focused script analyses, Location Placement Value (LPV) evaluations, combined qualitative and quantitative research with film-induced tourists, filmic place branding strategy, and stakeholder workshop facilitation. Sub-services cover film tourism product development — including film location tours, themed hotel packages, film-related exhibitions, and travel packages — as well as economic impact studies of production spending. The firm also derives reputational and demand-generation value from Roesch's publications, notably the 2009 book "The Experiences of Film Location Tourists," and from high-visibility speaking engagements at AFCI Cineposium, EUFCN, the European Parliament, and national tourism conferences.

Revenue is generated through project-based consulting fees on direct engagements with government tourism boards and quasi-government film commissions worldwide. The firm operates with a sales-led, relationship-driven go-to-market in which speaking, publishing, and board positions (AFCI Board of Directors, RFONZ Deputy Chair) substitute for traditional marketing. FilmQuest Limited is registered at 29 Meridian Street, Port Chalmers, New Zealand; it has no disclosed funding, no platform product, and no AI/ML product surface. Revenue, headcount (reported as 11–50, though the consulting practice itself appears to be a small founder-led team), and financials are not publicly disclosed.

Name

FilmQuest

Legal name

FilmQuest Limited

Website

https://filmquest.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FilmQuest is a film tourism consulting firm advising national and regional tourism boards, film commissions, and destination marketing organisations on developing film-induced tourism strategies, operated by Dr. Stefan Roesch from Port Chalmers, New Zealand since 2006.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Tourism Consulting

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Distribution (51212)

SIC

Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)

akta.pro primary industry

Studio Tours & Visitor Experiences (MPADAIAL)

Keywords

• Film tourism consulting
• Destination marketing advisory
• Film commission consulting
• Tourism strategy services
• Location placement value

Headquarters

HQ city

Port Chalmers

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: Professional consulting services provided to destination marketing organizations, film commissions, and tourism boards worldwide. Engagements include stakeholder workshops, film tourism strategy development, feasibility studies, and on-site evaluations. Revenue is project-based consulting fees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

FilmQuest provides film tourism consulting services to destinations, film commissions, and tourism organizations worldwide. The firm advises on developing and implementing film tourism strategies, including feasibility studies, filmic place branding, tourism-focused script analysis, Location Placement Value (LPV) evaluation, stakeholder workshops, and sustainable film tourism product development (location tours, themed packages, exhibitions). It operates as a single-service consultancy led by Dr. Stefan Roesch.

Product overview

FilmQuest is a film tourism consulting company offering advisory services through its founder Dr. Stefan Roesch. The company operates as a single-service consultancy rather than a platform product, providing strategic consulting services to destinations, tourism organizations, and film commissions worldwide. The core offering consists of film tourism consulting services, including filmic place branding, tourism-focused script analysis, film tourism product development (location tours, themed packages, exhibitions), market research with film-induced tourists, and Location Placement Value evaluation. The company also offers stakeholder workshop facilitation and has published academic works on film tourism. Services are delivered through direct consulting engagements rather than a software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Film Tourism Consulting Services Advisory and consulting services helping destinations, film commissions, and tourism organizations develop and implement film tourism strategies, including stakeholder workshops, feasibility studies, and market potential analyses.
• Filmic Place Branding Strategic destination marketing service using film and TV productions to promote locations, leveraging emotional storytelling and below-the-line advertising approaches to maximize tourism impact.
• Film Tourism Product Development Development of sustainable film tourism products including location tours, themed hotel packages, film-related exhibitions, film museums, events, and travel packages.
• Tourism-Focused Script Analysis Analysis of how portrayed locations are tied into film storylines to determine tourism potential, providing insights for future marketing campaigns around film productions.
• Market Research with Film-Induced Tourists Qualitative and quantitative research combining surveys with interviews to determine the actual influence of film and TV on travel behavior and destination selection.
• Location Placement Value (LPV) Evaluation Live-assessment of the effect of locations on audiences combined with desk research to identify viewing numbers and calculate location placement values.
• Stakeholder Workshop Facilitation Interactive workshop sessions covering topics such as film tourism opportunities, understanding film tourists, and place branding through film with case studies.
• Film Tourism Publications Published academic works including 'The Experiences of Film Location Tourists' (2009), book chapters on film tourism strategy, and industry handbooks.

Quantifiable outcome

• Advertising value equivalency (AVE) in film tourism commonly reaches 1:10 or higher
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStefan Roesch serves on the Board of Directors at AFCI. Conducted quantitative survey on future potential of film tourism with AFCI members. Presented at AFCI Cineposium events and contributed to AFCI Member Talk programs.
• Regional Film Offices of New Zealand (RFONZ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStefan Roesch serves as Deputy Chair of RFONZ. In his day job, he is Manager of Film Dunedin and Co-Manager of Film Otago Southland.
• European Film Commissions Network (EUFCN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducted Film Tourism Workshop for EUFCN Film Commissions in Brussels, Belgium. Speaker at 10th anniversary celebration at European Parliament in 2017.
• Film Otago SouthlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStefan Roesch serves as Co-Manager of Film Otago Southland, a film office based in New Zealand's South Island.
• Film DunedincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStefan Roesch serves as Manager of Film Dunedin, supporting film production and tourism in the Dunedin region of New Zealand.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Warner Bros. Studio Tour: Operates the Warner Bros. Studio Tour experience in Leavesden, UK, capitalizing on the Harry Potter and DC film franchises to drive visitor tourism. Comparable to FilmQuest as a high-profile operator of studio-based visitor experiences tied to film IP, though at far greater scale and as an operator rather than consultant.
• Walt Disney Imagineering: Designs and operates Disney's global theme parks and immersive experiences built around film franchises (Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, Avatar, Marvel). Demonstrates the commercial ceiling of film-inspired visitor experiences that FilmQuest helps destinations strategize around, and represents the kind of large-scale integrated IP-to-experience operator FilmQuest consults for.
• GetYourGuide: Global online marketplace for tours, attractions, and experiences, including film- and TV-related tours in destinations featured in major productions. Comparable as a broader tourism-experiences platform that captures downstream demand for the types of film-tourism products FilmQuest helps develop.

Direct peers

• Big Bus Tours: Operates hop-on-hop-off sightseeing tours across major global cities, including film-themed routes in destinations like London and New York. Directly comparable as a tour-product operator that monetizes location-based experiences for tourists, intersecting with FilmQuest's film location tour development work.
• Tourism Economics: Provides tourism forecasting, economic impact analysis, and destination strategy consulting to governments and DMOs globally. Closely comparable as a specialist tourism research and advisory firm serving public-sector tourism clients, mirroring FilmQuest's core customer base and analytical consulting approach.
• TEAM Tourism Consulting: Boutique tourism management and consulting firm advising DMOs, national tourism organizations, and attractions on strategy and performance. Closely comparable as a similarly sized specialist consultancy serving public-sector tourism clients with bespoke advisory services.

Others

• Phocuswright: Travel industry research and consulting firm producing syndicated research, custom consulting, and conferences for the global travel sector. Adjacent comparable as a research-and-advisory firm serving the travel and tourism ecosystem that FilmQuest also targets.
• Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI): Global trade association for film commissions, where Stefan Roesch serves on the Board of Directors. Represents the institutional buyer community FilmQuest serves and the network through which FilmQuest originates many of its consulting engagements.
• Skift: Travel industry research, media, and events company covering the business of travel including tourism marketing and destination strategy. Adjacent comparable as a research-and-media firm serving the same travel and tourism buyer community that FilmQuest addresses.
• VisitBritain: National tourism agency for Great Britain and a documented FilmQuest client (Paddington movie tour engagement). Not a direct competitor but a representative buyer of the type of film-tourism advisory services FilmQuest sells, illustrating the addressable public-sector customer profile.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/gofilmquest
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/filmquest

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about FilmQuest