How TV Is Changing The Way We Travel - International Traveller

How much do TV shows and movies influence where we book our next holiday?

Following season two of The White Lotus, which premiered in 2022, a tidal wave of tourists packed out the Sicilian town of Taormina. If you’ve seen the show, you’ll understand why – the backdrop of beaches and quaint cobbled streets is so stunning that it nearly steals the spotlight away from the gripping drama itself. Ahead of the upcoming third season set to film in Thailand, the ‘White Lotus effect’ is showing no signs of slowing down. According to data from Webjet, bookings to Phuket and Bangkok have seen a 37 per cent and 59 per cent increase, respectively.

Aubrey Plaza, Meghann Fahy, Theo James, Will Sharpe in The White Lotus season 2 — The White Lotus backdrop is so stunning it nearly steals the spotlight away from the gripping drama itself. (Image: Fabio Lovino and HBO)

What is set-jetting?

‘Set-jetting’ is the trend of travelling to a destination or location featured in a television show or movie. There’s even an example of this in The White Lotus when the Di Grasso family tour the locations in The Godfather (adding a very meta layer to the travel trend). While the big and small screens have been an ample source of wanderlust lately, the concept is by no means a new one.

Aubrey Plaza recreating L’avventura scene in The White Lotus season 2 — *The White Lotus* also recreated a creepy scene from *L’avventura* (1960) with Aubrey Plaza. (Image: Fabio Lovino and HBO)

For instance, The Lord of the Rings trilogy spawned ‘Tolkien tourism’, a travel trend largely credited with driving the number of international visitors to New Zealand up by 40 per cent between 2000 and 2006. In 2018, one in six visitors to Northern Ireland cited Game of Thrones as their reason for travelling there, and the series was also responsible for sending nearly a quarter of a million tourists flocking to Dubrovnik in Croatia between 2012 and 2015.

Game of Thrones still in Dubrovnik Croatia — Nearly a quarter of a million tourists went to Croatia because of Game of Thrones. (Image: HBO)

Why do we set jet?

In a way, the reason behind the phenomenon of set-jetting seems obvious – we become aware of a beautiful destination and want to visit it. But there are a few other factors at play. The language of cinema is a powerful tool for communicating the image of a place, often in a way that is exaggerated, distorted or enhanced. Our idea of a destination is inflected by the storyline, characters and mood, which gives us a solid sense of a destination – before we’ve even been. Often, this transforms into a desire to see a place, for real.

Movies and TV have always been a major source of influence over where we choose to spend our holidays. Here are some of the destinations hot on our radar for 2024.

1. Thailand (The White Lotus)

The jury’s still out on where the upcoming third season will be filmed (however, The Four Seasons Koh Samui blocking out two months of their booking calendar has us side-eyeing!). If the surge in Sicilian sunseekers post-season two is anything to go by, audiences will be eager to experience life in the ‘Blossom Circle’ in the tropics of Thailand. And with a surge in bookings, reported by Webjet, it looks like the trend has already been kickstarted.

Haley Lu Richardson and Jennifer Coolidge in The White Lotus season two — The ‘White Lotus effect’ is showing no signs of slowing down. (Image: HBO)

2. Paris (Emily in Paris)

Paris is an ever-popular tourist destination, but the Netflix show Emily in Paris has made the City of Love a fixture on screens around the globe. Although you’ll find tourists everywhere in the city, Emily in Paris can be credited for putting an oft-overlooked neighbourhood on the map. The Latin Quarter is where the fictional Emily Cooper lives, dines and flirts (with her neighbour, a handsome French chef named Gabriel). In 2023, the neighbourhood saw an influx of tourists keen to get a glimpse of the scenery from the show. And with a heavily anticipated fourth season on its way, it looks like our wanderlust for Paris isn’t going anywhere.

Lily Collins as Emily from Emily in Paris with Eiffel Tower behind — *Emily in Paris* has made the City of Love a fixture on screens around the globe. (Image: Netflix)

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3. New York City (Sex and the City/And Just Like That)

In 1998, Carrie Bradshaw sauntered onto our screens (in Manolo’s, of course) to regale viewers with stories from the lives of four friends living in NYC. The series wouldn’t be the same without the iconic backdrop of New York – so much so that the city can almost be considered an unofficial fifth cast member. With season two of the reboot And Just Like That hitting our screens this year and a third season upcoming, The Big Apple is well and truly on our radar.

Carrie Bradshaw on steps out front of her house in And Just Like That season 2 — Travelling to NYC to embrace your inner Carrie Bradshaw is still commonplace. (Image: HBO and Warner Bros. Pictures)

4. Los Angeles (Barbie)

Ever since those photos circulated of Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling rollerblading down Venice Beach, Barbiemania has taken over the world. And the film’s setting, Los Angeles, is at the centre of it all. Barbie’s dreamhouse is famously located in the Malibu Hills, and although it’s unfortunately no longer possible to visit, we’ve compiled a guide on how to unleash your inner Barbie in the toy’s notorious Malibu stomping ground.

Margot Robbie dancing in the Barbie Movie — Malibu has been a hot set-jetter destination since *Barbie* (2023) came out. (Image: Warner Bros. Pictures)

Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

1. Easy access to good food

meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 — Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.

In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.

Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.

It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.

2. Better sleep options

Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room — Sleep deeply with Novotel.

There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.

3. More ways to move

woman hiking around queenstown new zealand — Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.

Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.

4. Better connections

Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.

5. Location is everything

Surin Beach, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket, Thaiföld — Explore Phuket’s gorgeous beaches. (Credit: Bence Biczo)

Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.

Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.

What is set-jetting? How TV is changing the way we travel