The set-jetting trend is real and strong—but what actually is it? And is flying off to a stunning locale made famous by television series really the right way to get travel inspo?
Let’s dig in.
Set-jetting is the term used by the travel industry to define the post-pandemic trend of travelers wanting to visit places they’ve seen in shows and movies.
The most noted series prompting the boom in set-jetting is by far The White Lotus, the past three seasons of which all feature beautiful locales. All three destinations experienced their own “White Lotus effect” following the series’ airing, noticing measurable upticks in travelers, especially American travelers.
Thailand, the last backdrop for The White Lotus Season 3, predicted a 5 percent increase in visitation this year because of the show.
The set-jetting popularity, made even more enticing through social media’s powerful impact on human decision-making, also inspired the travel industry to offer set-jetting packages, tours and experiences: everyone from Sandals Resorts to VisitBritain to Four Seasons Private Jet Experiences have created experiences that draw from this trend.
Why is set-jetting so popular? I think it’s largely connected to the pandemic. When we were all stuck inside, people turned to movies and TV series for connection and inspiration, to feel like we were someplace else (I know this personally, as I was just one of many who discovered the wonderful world of Korean dramas during this period).
Once the pandemic ended and revenge travel kicked in full-force, we were still watching shows in between trips—and the shows that feature gorgeous settings or are travel-centric in nature, like The White Lotus, grew popular precisely because we were so hungry for new travel experiences.
And when people started booking flights to TV backdrops, set-jetting was born.
When you see a beautiful place on a show or in a movie, what’s your first inclination? Is it to immediately start researching the destination? To say to whoever you’re with, “Wow, let’s go there next!”
Or maybe…it’s to marvel at how many beautiful places there are in this world that you’ve never even considered because you haven’t already seen them online or on TV?
What’s with our desire to visit the places we’ve seen the most? Paris, Rome, London, New York City…They’re some of the most-visited and most viewed destinations in the world, the backdrop of romances and tragedies and comedies alike.
Why do we desire to visit them when we’ve seen them in countless movies and shows? Does seeing them increase our desire to visit these places?
Regardless of the psychology behind it, it’s clear set-jetting has never been more popular than it is now.
But is it actually kind of a lame trend?
For me, there are two main considerations to make.
The first is that set-jetting prioritizes going where many others want to go—it’s another form of following the crowd or trend or leader, however they are defined. I’m always leery of this, as overtourism is a real and progressive problem for many heavily touristed destinations around the world.
Even if there’s no guidebook involved with a list of the ten best places you have to see from this show or that movie, I’m still not convinced that traveling with the intent to visit places that have become popular through TV is a responsible thing to do.
And social media’s aggressive desire to post the same pictures with the same backdrops as many other influencers can lead to poor traveler behaviors and create general nuisance for residents.
On the other hand, seeing new places in television series or movies can open your mind to see the beauty and wonder the world holds—I haven’t been immune to this, either (South Korea remains one of my highly desired destinations to visit, largely because I’ve grown to appreciate its beauty via entertainment).
So while my gut instinct is to dismiss those who suddenly really want to visit Thailand after watching The White Lotus as fad followers and nothing more, I also have to take a step back and evaluate the power of television to change perspectives, create desire and introduce people to new cultures and destinations.
My perspective? Yeah, the TV travel trend is kind of lame, depending on how you do it. But the power of television to influence people’s minds isn’t lame at all—it’s fascinating.
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