There is no single price for a tourism or hospitality video, because the cost follows the scope: how many days of filming, how many locations, how many people travel to make it, and how many finished films you want at the end. A one-day film of a single hotel can cost a small fraction of a multi-week destination campaign, and both are reasonable for the right buyer. This guide explains what drives the number, how to describe your own scope in three bands, how to reduce cost without damaging the result, and what a clear quote should list.
What drives the cost
Tourism video is expensive in different places than a studio interview. Most of the budget goes to a few factors.
Shoot days. Days are the main unit of cost. Each day carries crew, equipment and production management, and a day lost to weather has to be paid for or rescheduled.
Number of locations. Every move between locations takes time. A hotel with a pool, a restaurant, a spa and a beach can fill a day by itself, while a destination film across five villages needs several.
Travel and lodging. If the crew must travel to a remote destination, flights, vehicles, accommodation and meals enter the budget. Hiring a crew that already lives in the region avoids much of this.
Crew size. A two-person team can capture a surprising amount, while a full commercial crew with lighting, sound and a director adds days of capability and cost together.
Talent. Real guests and staff cost little but need releases. Professional actors, models or hosts are paid, and their fees depend on usage and territory.
Aerial footage. Drone shots add scale and are expected in tourism, but they add a pilot, equipment and often permissions. Rules differ between countries and between locations, so check with the national aviation authority and the venue before you plan the shot.
Music. Library music is the low-cost route. Custom composition or a licensed commercial track is a separate line item.
Usage rights. A film for your own website and social channels costs less than one that will run as paid advertising, on television or through a partner’s channels. Ask for the term and territory in writing.
Season. Peak season means higher prices, crowded locations and fewer available crews. It also means the destination looks its best, which is the trade-off.
Three budget bands, described by scope
Instead of invented price points, think in terms of what each level of scope delivers. Place your project in the band that matches your needs, then ask producers to quote against it.
Band 1: single property, single day
One hotel, restaurant, tour company or attraction, filmed in a day by a small crew. The deliverable is one hero film of 60 to 90 seconds plus a few short cuts for social media. There is little or no travel, no actors, and library music. This band suits independent properties, new openings and operators who need fresh footage each season.
Band 2: multi-location, two to four days
A hotel group, a regional tour operator or a small destination, filmed over several days across a handful of locations. The deliverables include a main film, several shorter cuts, and possibly stills. Expect some travel, a larger crew, possible aerial footage and a few hired performers, along with more careful scheduling around weather and light.
Band 3: destination campaign
A tourism board or large brand producing a series: a flagship film, themed episodes by region or interest, and many cutdowns for different markets and platforms. It involves multiple weeks, several crews, talent, aerial work, custom music and more formal rights. It may also include pre-production visits and a planned release schedule.
Most buyers start in Band 1 or Band 2. A campaign in Band 3 is usually built from a pilot that proved the concept.
How to cut cost without cutting quality
- Shoot in one season. Filming everything within a single stretch of good weather saves repeat visits. Shoulder seasons can offer better rates and quieter locations, though check that vegetation, water and daylight match what visitors will experience.
- Plan the shot list before the day. Every unplanned location move costs time. Scout first, even by video call.
- Reuse footage. One shoot can feed a website film, social cuts, email headers and presentations if you plan the deliverables up front.
- Make deliverables shorter. Three 30-second films often serve a campaign better than one five-minute film, and cost less to edit.
- Use real people. Genuine staff and guests, with signed releases, can be more convincing than hired performers and cost less.
- Choose library music. It avoids the cost and clearance work of custom or licensed tracks.
- Limit the drone work. Plan a few high-value aerial shots instead of aerial coverage of every location.
- Hire locally where possible. A crew based near the destination lowers travel costs.
How a line-item quote is structured
A quote that lists only “production: one figure” tells you nothing. A useful one separates the main items so you can compare producers and change the scope.
One studio, LV Productions, publishes its pricing, which is a handy example of the structure, though not a guide to what tourism work costs. On its pricing page, one shoot day typically runs $4,000 to $8,000, covering crew, gear and production management, and each extra day is about $3,500 to $6,000. Permit fees for streets and parks in San Francisco, New York or Los Angeles run $300 to $2,000. Drone work in restricted airspace is quoted separately and needs extra permits, as are talent fees and custom music, while stock music is included in the standard quote. The studio also says it sends a line-item estimate within 48 hours of an intake call, listing crew, gear, locations, post-production and deliverables, with a change order sent before shooting.
Treat those as a model of how to itemize, not as a price list for your project. They are San Francisco-based figures from one commercial studio, and the studio itself says San Francisco crew runs about 15 to 20% above national averages. Destination work in other countries, in remote areas or in a different season will cost differently, and a studio that does not list tourism among its published work is not evidence about what tourism costs.
What to ask for in a quote
- Number of shoot days and locations, with the assumptions behind them.
- Crew by role, not just a headcount.
- Equipment and aerial footage, including the pilot and any permissions.
- Travel and accommodation, listed separately, with who books and pays.
- Talent and releases, and what happens if a person withdraws.
- Music, library or custom, and the license terms.
- Deliverables, with lengths, aspect ratios, formats and subtitles.
- Revision rounds and the cost of additional ones.
- Usage rights, including term, territory and channels.
- Weather policy, meaning what happens to a day lost to rain or wind.
- Payment schedule and delivery date.
If a producer cannot answer these, the quote is not finished.
FAQ
How many days does a hotel video need?
A single property with a few distinct areas can often be covered in one to two days. Add a day if you want sunrise and sunset coverage, interior and exterior footage in different conditions, or staged scenes with performers.
Is a drone worth the extra cost?
For destinations and resorts, aerial footage shows layout and setting better than anything shot at ground level. Plan a limited number of shots, confirm the pilot’s licensing and local rules, and check venue permissions before the day.
Can we reuse the video for advertising?
Only if the usage rights, music license and talent releases cover advertising. Many low-cost arrangements allow only organic use, so confirm before you pay for placement.
When is the best time to shoot?
When the destination looks the way guests will see it. For many places that is the high season, though shoulder months can balance good conditions with lower costs. Build in a weather day.
Your next step
Write a half-page brief covering your location list, the number of deliverables, the season you want to show, and the channels where the film will run. Send it to two or three producers and ask each for a line-item quote against the same brief. Comparing like with like will tell you more about price than any rule of thumb.