Travel news: The set-jetting boom - How TV and film are inspiring our travel choices
Screen-inspired travel has officially gone mainstream - and it is reshaping global tourism as we know it, writes Travel News Blitz writer Jesse-Ann Baron.
In 2026, a holiday trip may be born between the first episode and the final credits.
What is set-jetting?
Set-jetting is when you travel to a destination because of what you saw on screen in films and TV shows.
Basically, travel is built around the “set” of where these productions have been shot.
For example, Dubrovnik in Croatia had a massive increase in tourism, with visiting numbers skyrocketing over one million due to the Game of Thrones show.
The phrase was coined by New York Post journalist Gretchen Kelly in 2008, but the concept has exploded only now in the 2020s.
In the past, this did happen with films such as The Sound of Music and Breakfast at Tiffany’s, inspiring many travels to either the breathtaking Austrian hills or the iconic flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York.
This is not a new phenomenon, but it is an extremely popular one at the moment.
Travellers are increasingly letting their favourite shows and films do all the deciding for them.
Social media, combined with the rise in streaming platforms like Netflix, has accelerated this trend.
TikTok and Instagram, with their algorithms, have powered many of the viral destinations of sets, making it easy with a few clicks to book flights.
The numbers don’t lie.
According to Expedia, 53% of travellers desire to set-jet, which has increased in the past year, and 81% of millennial and Gen Z travellers have planned getaways based on what they’ve seen on screen.
This trend is not dying down, with it projected to become an $8 billion industry in the US alone.
Set-jetting is no longer a trend. It is a travel movement.
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Why do we book holidays based on what we watch?
When you have cried, laughed and screamed at the screen over a single show, you feel weirdly connected to the characters.
So when travellers go to the set locations of these shows or films, it's more than a pretty view but a step into that screen world.
It's not just a standard holiday choice - there's a want to fall through the rabbit hole.
However, it is not solely inspired by the film but heavily from social media.
During COVID-19, everyone was home-bound binging shows, and this kindled a desire to see these set locations.
TikTok and Instagram amplified this by translating what people see on screen and turning it instantly into wanderlust.
Travel influencers often share photos and videos from iconic set locations, from cobbled streets to fantasy castles.
These posts go viral, enticing many to travel there themselves to scratch that itch whilst having an immersive experience.
This set-jetting movement coincides with the trend of searching for immersive and unique experiences.
Meaningful travel is becoming popular, and more people are finding it through exploring the locations of their favourite show or film.
Suddenly, now a small coastal town in Sicily or a Yorkshire Moor becomes the viral must-go destination of the year because of streaming and Social Media's reach.
Where are set-jetters heading in 2026?
Many great shows and films have come and are set to come out this year.
Most notably, the Wuthering Heights film released in February, based on the Emily Brontë book of the same title, has caused an increase in searches for Yorkshire.
In the past 30 days after its release, there was a 5000% increase in Google searches for filming locations of Wuthering Heights in Yorkshire.
The fictional story was shot with the very real beauty of Yorkshire moors and Dales in the backdrop, inspiring many to experience the tranquil landscape first-hand.
Christopher Nolan's epic new film, The Odyssey, is to release this July, and the location of the Peloponnese peninsula in Greece is soon to become a popular destination.
The film has an all-star cast with Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Matt Damon and Robert Pattinson, to name a few.
This was shot in an array of breathtaking locations in Greece, including a 13th-century fortified castle looking over the peninsula.
The much-anticipated film will be retelling Homer's saga, a classic epic poem that breathed life into Greek mythology.
Other expected hit locations are in Hawaii, Samoa and French Polynesia due to the Moana live action coming out this July.
The landscapes of Tahiti in Polynesia, Oahu in Hawaii and the island of Upolo in Samoa will be must-see destinations to immerse in the beauty and culture shown in the live-action Moana.
There are a plethora of great shows and films that are inspiring travel destinations, but the most notable has undoubtedly been The White Lotus series.
This black comedy is shot in a new luxury destination every season.
It satirises the difference in experience between the poorer staff and the rich tourists. The thrill really comes in when, in each season, someone dies.
In the first season, they shot in a Four Seasons hotel in Maui at Wailea in Hawaii, with a 425% uptick year on year reported on their travel websites.
This was seen again in their second season, shot in a Sicilian hotel in Taormina.
The Sicilian hotel said they were booked out for six months after the show finished filming.
Each season, the set locations see a massive uptick in tourism.
The next season is being shot in France along the French Riviera, breaking its Four Seasons hotel trend.
You can bet on the White Lotus effect to take over global tourism as it has done each season so far.
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Are set-jetters loving these destinations to death?
Many of these destinations have caused an exponential increase in tourism.
Overtourism has a downside for these destinations.
An influx of tourists brings not only an economic boost but a rise in the cost of living.
Many houses are converted into short-term rentals, and Airbnb becomes increasingly popular.
These unexpected destinations, like Yorkshire Moors, for example, might see a strain on infrastructure such as transportation, waste management and public services.
Eventually, the loss of culture happens when local shops are closed to usher in generic tourist attractions and souvenir shops.
Overcrowding can degrade the quality of life for the local residents. Travellers must be wary and not disrupt the natural habitats.
In 2026, it seems your best travel guide is on your watchlist.
So, press play and start packing.
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