New Delhi, Dec 3 (IANS) Bollywood is no more just a form of entertainment but also has immense business potential. Borbely Karoly, the Romanian secretary of state, feels the Hindi film industry can play a crucial role in encouraging tourism in Romania.

"In our country we encourage Indian filmmakers to come and in turn help tourism. Since our actors and producers are very skilled, (Indian) filmmakers will also discover new possibilities," Karoly told IANS.

"Bollywood will increase tourism. When we promote one business (Bollywood), it in turn attracts other businesses and this could be a good way to increase tourism."

The minister, who was here for a meeting with the managing director of an import-export firm, feels Romania needs to be exposed to Bollywood to increase the volume of business which will be mutually beneficial.

"We have more exposure to Hollywood, but we do have some local channels showing Bollywood movies. We need to increase the volume, which will happen when Indian filmmakers come here and make themselves more visible," he said.

He says the country offers many exotic locations and can provide a picturesque backdrop for the narratives.

"We have the monasteries in Moldavia. We have Transylvania, the place where the Dracula was from, the Black Sea and several other places. People usually come to shoot for a short period, although they have the possibility to exploit more."

Bollywood shoots are no cheap affair and even shooting a simple song sequence abroad can cost a fortune. Most of the money flows into the economy of the country where the movie is being shot.