UK Joins South Korea and Other Countries in Driving the Massive Global Set-Jetting Tourism Boom
Set-jetting tourism is exploding worldwide! The UK joins South Korea and other countries in the phenomenon that has fuelled a huge global set-jetting tourism boom today. Travelers are signing up for holiday tours covering popular streaming locations. Television show fans want to recreate their adventures and find themselves in the places captured on film. Moreover, the phenomenon is driving a rise in tourism as visitors flock to these destinations.
Set-jetting has become a phenomenon in modern tourism, with streaming culture fueling holidaymakers booking entire itineraries to capture the exact spot in popular TV, blockbuster movies or compelling docuseries.
Advertisement
Advertisement
How Is Italy Capturing the Cinematic Tourism Wave?
Italy is experiencing an enormous wave of international travelers exploring Sicily, Rome, and rural coastal villas to trace the precise filming sites of high-profile prestige television drama series. Visitors eagerly wander through ancient piazzas and multi-generational estates to recreate iconic dramatic moments while enjoying authentic Mediterranean hospitality. This surge in screen-inspired travel has provided a massive economic boost to local businesses that cater to enthusiastic fans of prestige television.
Why Are British Landscapes Dominating Screen Tourism?
The United Kingdom is witnessing a massive tourism boom across the Scottish Highlands, historic country estates, and picturesque English villages driven by fans tracking down atmospheric settings. These locations have gained international fame by serving as the visual backdrops for royal narratives, sweeping period dramas, and high-fantasy epics that capture the global imagination. Heritage organizations and local hospitality providers have successfully adapted their offerings to accommodate the relentless influx of dedicated television pilgrims.
Advertisement
Advertisement
“It is truly fascinating to watch how modern streaming culture has fundamentally altered the way we choose our holiday destinations today. Instead of picking places at random from a standard brochure, millions of passionate fans now book entire global itineraries specifically to step inside the exact cinematic frames of their favourite television shows and blockbuster movies. This remarkable shift towards location realism breathes incredible economic life into rural villages, historic estates, and coastal towns worldwide, proving that digital storytelling now wields extraordinary power over physical travel choices and international tourism trends.”
— Anup Kumar Keshan, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Travel And Tour World
Advertisement
Advertisement
What Makes South Korea a Global Entertainment Hotspot?
South Korea continues capitalizing on its massive global entertainment footprint by drawing crowds to regional seaside towns, indie record shops, and dramatic coastal cliffs featured in trending K-dramas. Travelers arrive with deep-seated emotional connections to their favourite fictional characters, turning everyday urban neighbourhoods and scenic overlooks into vibrant cultural hubs. Local municipalities have embraced this phenomenon by installing interactive tourist markers and preserving the exact production sites that appeared on screen.
Explore official tourism strategies and international campaign frameworks via the VisitBritain Screen Tourism Research Hub.
Advertisement
Advertisement
How Does New Zealand Sustain Its Epic Fantasy Legacy?
New Zealand continues to attract lifelong film tourists who journey deep into remote national parks, volcanic craters, and rolling green hills to live out epic fantasy landscape narratives. The enduring popularity of cinematic trilogies filmed across the country ensures that international visitors consistently seek out these majestic wilderness tracks and guided valley tours. Conservation authorities work carefully alongside tourism boards to manage foot traffic and protect the delicate natural ecosystems that define these legendary cinematic backdrops.
| Destination | Primary Drivers & Media Types | Key Regions Explored | Main Traveler Motivations |
| Italy | Prestige television dramas and cinematic anthologies | Sicily, Rome, rural coastal villas | Tracing precise filming sites and experiencing Mediterranean hospitality |
| United Kingdom | Period dramas, royal narratives, and fantasy epics | Scottish Highlands, historic country manors, English villages | Exploring atmospheric historical settings and heritage backdrops |
| South Korea | Trending K-dramas and pop-culture hits | Regional seaside towns, indie record shops, coastal cliffs | Connecting with beloved characters and vibrant cultural hubs |
| New Zealand | Epic fantasy cinematic trilogies | Remote national parks, volcanic craters, rolling green hills | Living out legendary fantasy wilderness narratives and valley tours |
The main reason is that we are fanatically attached to streaming media characters and beautiful computer-animated backgrounds. The simplest answer is that they want the same frame that made them fall in love with the characters and locations on their screens to be their own. But the fundamental reason is that digital media produces intensely immersive wanderlust that standard vacation vacations can’t compete with.
Advertisement