The Set-Jetting forecast
The shows may be fiction, but the trend is real. These are the locations we predict TV and movie fans will be heading to in 2024
Last fall, I pitched up in Lacock, an impossibly pretty village in the English countryside, for a weekend away with an old friend. We arrived in the dark, not a soul around as we checked into our rooms in a 15th-century inn. The next day, though, was another matter: The tiny village was heaving with visitors, who had been drawn there in part by its outsize presence on screen—as a location in Harry Potter, Downton Abbey and Masterpiece Theater classics including Pride and Prejudice. As, I should confess, had we.
It’s a phenomenon called “Set-Jetting,” which Expedia Group identified as a powerful force in last year’s Travel Trends report. And over the past 12 months, it has gone from strength to strength: nearly 30% of travelers* now say that TV shows and movies are more influential than they were before. In fact, TV shows are more of a draw for destinations than Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok*, with breathtaking landscapes and outdoorsy locations unsurprisingly generating the most interest, followed by lesser-known locales and beaches.
More than half of travelers* now say that TV shows and movies inspire their travel plans
“Here’s the history on this trend: Expedia noticed searches peaking for destinations featured on shows, even imaginary destinations like Schitt’s Creek,” says Melanie Fish, chief trend tracker for Expedia Brands. “We found it hard to believe people were actually booking trips to places they saw on a show. We commissioned research and sure enough, movies and streaming shows are now the top inspiration for travel.”
The luxurious locations of hit HBO satire The White Lotus, for instance—Hawaii in season one and Sicily in season two—each saw searches spike by more than 300%**. The feel-good Apple TV+ show Ted Lasso, meanwhile, prompted a 160% surge in Expedia searches for Richmond, a leafy suburb of London, after season two; with searches also up 100% following season three. FX’s The Bear drove a 45% increase in searches for Chicago; and after Norway featured as a setting in the final season of HBO’s Succession, searches spiked by more than 65%.
Elsewhere, Netflix’s Queen Charlotte stoked interest in the real-life royal’s home state, putting Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany, on the map; interest was up 20% among British viewers. But perhaps most surprisingly, the somewhat bleak BBC drama Happy Valley sent hotel searches in its setting of Yorkshire up 105%.
* Based on consumer research conducted among 20,000 respondents across 14 countries by OnePoll between Sept. 12—Oct. 5, 2023, on behalf of Expedia Brands.
**All search data based on global search data on Expedia and Hotels.com for hotel stays for each show 90 days post-air date compared to the same dates the year before.
Want to get ahead of the crowds? Here’s our Set-Jetting forecast for 2024
The White Lotus: Thailand
In the first two seasons of the spiky HBO satire, Four Seasons properties stood in for fictional White Lotus luxury resorts: first, the Hawaiian Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, and then Sicily’s San Domenico Palace Hotel, Taormina. And given the 300% bump in bookings for both islands, it’s no wonder that speculation has been frenzied about season three’s setting. (Québec City even made an official pitch to play host.) The winner, however, appears to be Thailand—book your trip now to one of its four Four Seasons resorts for cultural kudos in 2024.
Wednesday: Romania
In Tim Burton’s gory take on The Addams Family for Netflix, Romania stands in for Vermont: A no-brainer, of course, given that it’s where you find Transylvania, mythical home to Dracula. Spectacular architecture abounds here—including Cantacuzino Castle, which will be recognizable to fans of the Netflix series as the exterior of Nevermore Academy, the mysterious boarding school where Wednesday Addams is reluctantly sent; book a far less sinister food and wine-focused day trip.
Gladiator 2: Malta
The small Mediterranean island nation of Malta has an outsized role in the movies, appearing as a location in Bond films including The Spy Who Loved Me, plus Troy, The Da Vinci Code, The Count of Monte Cristo and more. You can still visit the quirky village built for the 1980 musical version of Popeye; for the sequel to Gladiator, due for release in November 2024, a vast set including a coliseum was constructed—parts of which may be retained post-production as a tourist attraction.
Emily in Paris: France
The addictive Netflix series has inspired many a dreamer to visit the romantic French capital: After each season, Expedia sees more than a 200% spike in interest. Ahead of season four’s arrival, explore the titular expat’s favorite spots in the city, from the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in the northwest wing of the Louvre Palace to the Quai des Célestins on the Seine. Find more ideas in Expedia’s cultural guide to the city. Or, like Emily, travel further afield: The famed five-star Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat is the ultimate base to explore the timeless chic of the French Riviera.
Bridgerton and The Crown: England
It’s no wonder that two of Netflix’s biggest hits, the Jane Austen-inspired romance Bridgerton and royal family dramatisation The Crown, have inspired travelers to head to London, Bath and Windsor. Book in for a Bridgerton-themed afternoon tea at London hotel The Lanesborough, join a walking tour of Bath locations, including the Danbury and Featherington homes, or indulge your regal fantasies with a stay at a rambling castle.
Squid Game: South Korea
Korean culture has taken the world by storm in recent years, from K-pop to elaborate 10-step skincare regimes. And the surrealist Squid Game’s enormous success is no exception, becoming Netflix’s biggest show to date on its debut in 2021. While the world waits for season two, check out our guide to Seoul and bookmark the spots you want to see.
Bad Monkey: Florida Keys
From Key Largo with Bogart and Bacall to the action film True Lies, the picturesque resort islands reached from Florida’s mainland by the epic Overseas Highway have repeatedly starred on screen. And this year, they’ll be scene-stealing in the Apple TV+ detective drama Bad Monkey, starring Vince Vaughn.
Faraway Downs and Furiosa: Australia
We predict a surge of interest in traveling Down Under this year, thanks to two highly anticipated cultural moments. Film director Baz Luhrmann’s 2008 love letter to his native country, Australia, is set to be re-edited and extended into a mini-series titled Faraway Downs for Hulu, while Furiosa is the origin story of the female renegade warrior of the 2015 movie, Mad Max: Fury Road. Plan your own Aussie road trip with our Australia travel guide.
Argylle and My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3: Greece
After featuring as a playground for the super-wealthy in both Netflix’s The Glass Onion and the Oscar-nominated Triangle of Sadness, Greece’s glorious seascapes and idyllic islands continue to seduce location scouts. Athens and Corfu feature in My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, while the country costars with Henry Cavill in the upcoming spy action-comedy Argylle.
Outlander: Scottish Highlands
Fans of the time-traveling Starz drama series Outlander can immerse themselves in its imposing setting, the Scottish Highlands, with a stay at a real-life castle. This seven-bedroom estate north of Inverness is fully catered, with thousands of acres of rolling countryside on its doorstep; book a day trout fishing, clay-pigeon shooting or whiskey tasting. Or join a top-rated tour of Outlander‘s key locations.
Kate Bussmann
Writer
Kate Bussmann is an editor at Expedia Group, covering all aspects of culture and style. She has hosted live and online events, written and edited for titles including The Times, The Telegraph, InStyle, Glamour, and Marie Claire, and appeared on NPR, the BBC and Sky News. She has lived in London, New York and Naples, and one day plans to move to Paris.
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