Set-Jetting: How Your Favorite Films and Shows Became the World's Biggest Travel Agent

There was a time when we chose our holidays from glossy brochures or a friend's recommendation. In 2026, a new travel agent has quietly taken over: our television. A booming trend known as 'set-jetting', planning trips around the places we see in films and TV series, has gone firmly mainstream, reshaping where millions of us decide to spend our precious time off.

A screen-inspired boom

The numbers behind the trend are striking. According to travel platform Expedia, a remarkable 81% of Gen Z and Millennial travelers now plan their holidays around locations featured in film and television, while more than half of global travelers say their interest in screen-inspired getaways is clearly growing. What was once a niche pursuit for superfans has quietly become a mass-market force.

An eight-billion-dollar industry

This is no longer just a cultural curiosity; it has become big business. Screen tourism is projected to grow into a potential eight-billion-dollar industry in the United States alone, and companies are racing to cash in on it. Expedia, for instance, has even launched a dedicated 'set-jetting' hub designed to turn memorable on-screen scenes directly into bookable, real-life itineraries for eager fans around the world.

Where the screen is sending us

So where exactly are all these viewers heading? The 2026 forecasts point to some wonderfully evocative destinations. Fans of sweeping period dramas are being drawn to Yorkshire in the UK, long associated with stories like 'Wuthering Heights' and 'Downton Abbey'. The rolling hills of Tuscany continue to lure film lovers, while a live-action take on 'Moana' is expected to shine a bright spotlight on the islands of Polynesia.

A double-edged sword

For destinations themselves, set-jetting can be a mixed blessing. A single hit show can transform a quiet town into a must-visit spot almost overnight, bringing welcome tourist spending to local businesses and hotels. But it can also strain small communities that are unprepared for the sudden crowds, echoing the wider debate around overtourism that so many popular places are already grappling with in 2026.

Ultimately, set-jetting says something revealing about how we travel now. We are increasingly chasing not just sights, but stories, wanting to stand exactly where our favorite characters once stood. As screens and streaming services keep multiplying, the line between watching a place and visiting it only grows blurrier, and our next holiday may well begin the very moment we press play.