‘Set jetting’: The holiday destinations expecting Britons this year because of TV shows

How do you choose your next holiday destination? Friends, social media sites or travel agents might influence our decision – but it turns out a lot of us are also inspired by what we see on screen. 

It’s something travel experts call “set jetting” – a trend that has frequently boosted tourist numbers at filming locations.

Data given exclusively to the Sky News Money blog by Expedia shows popular BBC reality series The Traitors – filmed at Ardross Castle – has caused searches for hotels in the Highlands to rocket.

A month after the final episode of the first series aired in 2022, there was a 72% increase in searches.

During the same period, flight searches in the Scottish Highlands also increased by 32%.

Meanwhile, the Jamie Dornan-led series The Tourist appeared to boost searches for holidays in Adelaide in South Australia.

Two months after the first season aired, there was a 56% increase in hotel searches for Adelaide.

Flight searches increased by 37% in one month.

With both series currently airing their second season, it seems likely they could each prompt another increase in travellers.

Expedia previously predicted 13 more TV and film locations likely to be popular in 2024, based on show and film releases and travel data.

• Thailand, inspired by The White Lotus season three
• Paris, inspired by Emily In Paris season four
• The Highlands, inspired by the remaining seasons of Outlander
• London, Bath and Windsor, inspired by the new season of Bridgerton and The Crown season six
• Malta, inspired by the new Gladiator 2 film
• Korea, inspired by Squid Game season two
• Romania, inspired by Wednesday season two
• Florida Keys and the Bahamas, inspired by Apple TV show Bad Monkey
• Australia, inspired by Baz Luhrmann’s Faraway Downs and the Mad Max prequel Furiosa
• Greece, inspired by new spy action thriller Argylle

Read more:
The couple who ‘sold everything’ to live on cruise ships forever
Why 2024 could be the worst year ever for ‘overtourism’

How popular is set jetting?

A July 2023 report by Voucher Codes found most people (65.7%) have not booked a TV show or film destination for a holiday – but that still leaves a significant chunk of people who have.

Here are the top places people have booked because of TV shows or films, according to their survey:

• Greece (Mamma Mia) – 9.49%
• NYC (Sex And The City, Gossip Girl) – 6.74%
• Majorca (Love Island) – 6.14%
• Paris (Emily In Paris) – 5.99%
• Croatia (Game Of Thrones) – 5.59%
• New Zealand (Lord Of The Rings) – 5.49%
• Australia (Married At First Sight) – 5.24%
• Iceland (Game Of Thrones) – 4.69%
• Northern Ireland (Game Of Thrones) – 4.64%
• South Africa (Love Island) – 4.49%
• Sicily (White Lotus) – 3.69%