THE SET JETTERS

N.WALES BEAUTY SPOTS BECOME MAGNETS FOR GEN Z TV FANS

- By ANDREW FORGRAVE Countryside and Tourism Editor

ONCE a niche pursuit of film superfans, set-jetting has firmly entered the travel mainstream.

Travellers are no longer content to simply watch their favourite films and series, they want to step inside the scenes themselves.

Bookings for hotels, cities and landscapes made famous on screen are soaring. Expedia Group was first to notice the trend when searches for Hawaii and Sicily shot up more than 300%. Both islands had featured in the first two seasons of The White Lotus.

The trend was christened "set jetting" and it’s since showed no sign of waning. In 2025, Expedia's research found 53% of visitors were influenced by TV shows and movies when choosing destinations.

Among Gen Z and Millennials, the motivation was even more pronounced: 81% now plan getaways based on TV shows and films.

Even imaginary destinations like Schitt’s Creek in Canada have been getting visitors.

Expedia claims TV shows are now more of an influence on travellers than Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Visit Wales has jumped on the zeitgeist, partnering with VisitBritain in an international campaign showcasing “epic” North Wales locations used to film HBO's House of the Dragon series.