Felipe García of Visit Tucson: “This Production Helps Us Showcase Our Destination Across The U.S. And Mexico”

Felipe García, president and CEO of Visit Tucson, highlighted the significance of the production of Tierra de Amor y Coraje in the region. “It is important for everyone to know that these productions are beneficial, they bring economic resources and help us promote the destination throughout the U.S. and in Mexico,” the executive told PRODU. “This type of production is first-class, it employed a great deal of local talent and generated a very significant economic impact for the community,” he added.

García noted that Arizona now has a new incentive program that, depending on the type of production and certain requirements, provides financial incentives for filming. “Internally, as the Tucson office, we also offer financial support depending on the project. We evaluate it, determine whether it contributes to destination promotion or generates hotel room nights for the community, and we also have ways to support them,” he explained.

Felipe García, president and CEO of Visit Tucson

He emphasized that for those looking to undertake a production, Tucson is “a unique destination. We have spectacular diversity, but above all, we offer a level of service where productions are supported every step of the way. They will have access to our team to help solve problems and ensure that their filming and production are first-rate. We also invite foreign productions not to be afraid. We have hosted many international productions here, and we are happy to assist with government relations, immigration authorities, and local production partners. We provide all the support needed to make the process easy and ensure the success of any project brought to our community.”

FIRST HISPANIC TELENOVELA PRODUCED IN TUCSON

Mónica López, Senior Production Manager at Film Tucson (Southern Arizona’s film office), told PRODU that they supported TelevisaUnivision from the very beginning of the process, when the company was scouting locations.

“We took them to visit different ranches throughout Southern Arizona, and we identified the two main ranches where the telenovela was filmed. We also assisted with permits, additional locations, police support for street closures, and any permits required to film in Tucson or Southern Arizona—we coordinated all of that,” López said.

López expressed that they would love to attract more Mexican or Spanish-language productions to Tucson. “We are one hour from the Mexican border. We usually host Mexican productions, documentaries, or films, but this is the first time we have had a telenovela. It is going to be something very special. Tucson is ready to welcome any type of production, and our office is bilingual. If productions come from Mexico or Latin America, we are ready to receive them,” she added.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

López said that the economic impact of Tierra de Amor y Coraje in Tucson “was substantial.” She added that it represented several million dollars in economic activity and created more than 200 jobs in Tucson. The production remained in the area for approximately nine weeks.

“There were 130 people who came from Mexico. That represented more than 3,500 hotel room nights. Obviously, they dined in our restaurants, shopped in our stores, and relied on various local businesses to carry out their production. The economic impact generated in our region was very significant,” she stated.

For his part, Fernando Sánchez, Mexico’s consul in Tucson, also highlighted the production’s impact on the area. “We are very excited about this new project coming to Southern Arizona. It certainly has a very positive impact on the Tucson community. A project like this can attract others, and that has an economic, tourism, and cultural impact on the community,” he concluded.

Fernando Sánchez, Mexico’s consul in Tucson