Travel has always been shaped by stories, from books and art to films and television. But today, a favourite show or movie can do more than inspire a holiday mood ; it can influence where people actually want to go. This has fuelled ‘set-jetting’, a travel trend in which people visit destinations because they have seen them on screen. Expedia first highlighted the phenomenon in 2022, and its latest travel-trend data suggest that screen-based travel inspiration has become increasingly mainstream.

According to Expedia’s Unpack ’26 data from 24,000 travellers across 18 countries, 53% of travellers say what they watch on screen influences their travel plans, while the figure rises to 81% among Gen Z and Millennial travellers.…