Book-inspired travel is set to be the next big thing - here's why

Book-inspired travel is set to knock set-cations off its perch. Here’s why the hottest way to travel this year can be found in the pages of your next book.

Despite nay-sayers claiming books to be dead since the early 90s, they’ve been increasingly back in vogue since Covid lockdowns and a reignited hunger to consume content longer than a few-hundred-word snippets.

Book clubs have been popping up all over the place, with so many attendees there had to be a lottery system. Everyone and their mothers seem to have published a book in the last two years. No, really. Nielsen BookScan found that 2022 was Australia’s largest year in book sales, and it’s plateaued (not declined) since. The U.S. had its two biggest years on record for print book sales in 2021 and 2022.

So it’s no wonder that book-inspired travel is the new set-cation trend. And as today is World Book Day, I thought it apt to delve into the next big thing in travel.

Look to books for your next travel inspiration. (Getty/ Pixdeluxe)

I have to admit, for me, this is not a new trend, but rather something I’ve been doing since I was old enough to travel under my own steam. It’s probably not surprising (given that I turned my travels and writing into my career) but the only thing I love more than reading is travelling the world. And books (travel writing, fiction and history books alike) have always been an inspiration for where to go.

The more obvious ones come to mind first: a soul-finding journey to Italy, India or Bali inspired by Elizabeth Gilbert’s smash hit memoir, Eat, Pray, Love. Even today, you can visit the traditional Balinese healer, Ketut Liyer, who inspired Elizabeth’s journey. Or desperately craving a hiking getaway after reading about the adventures of Cheryl Strayed in Wild.

Eat, Pray, Love inspired many to visit visit the traditional Balinese healer, Ketut Liyer. (Image: Getty/ intek1)

But it can also be far more subtle. For me, reading an old favourite – Breakfast At Tiffany’s by Truman Capote – conjures up an old-world, socialite glam that makes heading to New York all the more thrilling. After watching the movie adaptation of Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan, I finally read the book while in the midst of planning my trip to Singapore. Let me just tell you, that if New York is the fifth main character in Sex And The City, Singapore is the hundredth main character in Crazy Rich Asians. It’s such a fun book, with such stunning depictions of food and settings in this vibrant city that it’s definitely stoked my excitement (and even has me putting some new stops on my itinerary).

I cannot wait to explore more of Singapore than I had originally planned. (Image: Getty/ Lim Weixang/ Zeitgeist Photos)

As it turns out, in recent years I certainly haven’t been alone in this. According to a survey shared by Explore Worldwide, 70 per cent of travellers are more likely to read while on holiday, while 72 per cent have visited or considered visiting a place after reading a novel set there. And what were the top five locations people wanted to travel to in 2025 after reading about them in books? Italy, USA, Scotland, Japan and Australia.

Most people are more likely to read on holiday. (Image: Getty/ Oleh Slobodeniuk)

Looking for inspiration on where to travel next? Read your book, then check out the team’s top travel picks for 2025.