What we watch shapes how and where we travel: How set-jetting turns watchlists into bucket lists
Movies and TV shows are changing how we travel. Back in 2011, on a trip to Kashmir, we were scammed into paying `30 as entry fee to visit Betaab Valley, situated at a distance of 15 kms from Pahalgam.
For those wondering why, it was the setting for the 1983 romance drama Betaab, that launched the careers of Sunny 'dhai kilo ka haath' Deol and Amrita Singh. But with little else to do on an off-season trip to Kashmir, how this 30-year-old movie was still relevant was not a question we wanted to ask.
Predictably, it proved to be an underwhelming experience at best. Down South, atop another hill, you have what's known as the 'Shooting Spot ' or Wenlock Downs in Ooty — the setting for Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Ajab Prem Ki Gajab Kahaani among others — that, for `10 per head, you can use to film your next reel.
Bollywood movies have always inspired Indians to travel — Yash Chopra was recognised as the 'Ambassador of Interlaken' in 2011 and Zoya Akhtar's Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara prompted many Indians tourists to make it to Spain. But these days, more often than not, the trip you book is decided by what you are bingeing.
Say hello to '
set-jetting
'. The term is believed to have been coined in the early 2000s by travel writers and marketers who noticed a surge in tourists seeking out filming locations after watching popular movies or shows, mainly fuelled by the release of films like The Lord of the Rings trilogy (New Zealand), The Da Vinci Code (Paris and the UK), the Harry Potter series (Scotland) and Game of Thrones (Iceland and Croatia). The concept, though, can be traced to the 1960s with the blockbuster The Sound of Music providing a boost to tourism in Austria.
In a recent New York Times article, Daniel L Spears, an associate professor of hospitality and tourism, University of North Texas, who has studied the trend, credits its popularity to the immersive nature of streaming , which establishes a deep bond with the characters and the place, giving fans a sense of nostalgia'.
Whatcha watchin'
Set-jetting is becoming a significant driver and motivator for travel, especially for younger audiences — Gen Z, millennials — who grew up on streaming. Rajeev Kale, president and country head (Holidays, MICE, Visa) of travel agency
Thomas Cook India
, says that popular choices include South Korea, thanks to K-dramas and K-pop.
'We've even seen travellers extend their stay in Japan and South Korea by a day or two just to visit anime or K-pop landmarks — these extensions can add roughly `25,000 per day,' he says. More recently, Kale has noticed bookings going up for Thailand — especially Bangkok, Phuket, and Koh Samui — after The White Lotus 3, with the show sparking an uptick in demand for luxury resort stays.
'It's not just restricted to younger segments — India's HNI and UHNI travellers are also equally drawn to these immersive, highend set-jetting experiences,' he adds. 'We're seeing a growing number of Indian travellers base their holidays not on traditional sightseeing, but on moments they've watched on screen,' adds SD Nandakumar, president and country head (holidays and corporate tours), SOTC.
Nandakumar counts Emily in Paris for promoting Paris, The Crown and Bridgerton for popularising Bathand Richmond, and Game of Thrones and Succession promoting Iceland and Norway respectively.
Experience counts
SOTC data also shows that people are willing to spend more for set-jetting experiences.
'We've seen holidays in this space start from `2–2.5 lakh per person and go higher — especially when they include experiences like royal stays in the UK, film location walks in New York, or private f a sh ion st yl i n g sessions in France,' Nandakumar reveals.
In 2024, for instance, Expedia noticed that searches for Hawaii and Sicily (destinations for the first two seasons of White Lotus) spiked by more than 300%. Similarly, traffic increased 160% for the London suburb of Richmond where Ted Lasso was filmed.
Mohit Joshi, travel and destinations expert, for travel search aggregator Skyscanner, says that their travel trends report for 2025 reveals that over half (52%) of Indian travellers say films and television shape their travel dreams, second only to social media (68%).
Skyscanner's trends for last year also listed 'main character energy' as a factor that is driving travel, with 94% of Indian travellers revealing that they've been inspired to visit a destination after seeing it on screen.
'A great example was when we saw Manali (48%) being highlighted as a favourite destination thanks to Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, followed by Ladakh which continues to inspire nearly half (47%) of travellers after its portrayal in 3 Idiots,' Joshi says.
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