The Rise Of Set-jetting Tourism: Boosting Destinations Like Hallstatt And Dubrovnik Through Popular Tv Shows

Published on September 20, 2025

Hallstatt, Dubrovnik, and Taormina person go family names acknowledgment to their roles arsenic stunning backdrops successful celebrated TV shows and films. These locations, erstwhile comparatively unknown, are now thriving tourer hotspots, drafting millions of visitors eager to acquisition nan magic of their on-screen appearances. From nan picturesque lakes of Hallstatt, Austria to nan humanities charm of Dubrovnik, Croatia, and nan glamorous hills of Taormina, Sicily, set-jetting tourism is reshaping nan world recreation industry.

Set-jetting, a inclination wherever travelers sojourn destinations featured successful movies aliases TV shows, has gained immense popularity, peculiarly aft nan pandemic. The emergence of streaming platforms, mixed pinch nan lifting of recreation restrictions, has sparked an unprecedented surge successful wanderlust. In 2023, recreation hunt motor Expedia revealed that movies and TV shows were nan apical sources of travel inspiration for 44% of world travelers, acold surpassing nan power of societal media.

The White Lotus Effect: From Set to Destination

One of nan astir notable examples of set-jetting boosting tourism is nan HBO bid The White Lotus, which has captured nan imagination of viewers pinch its luxurious settings. The 2nd season, filmed astatine nan Four Seasons San Domenico Palace successful Taormina, Sicily, has fixed nan municipality a tourism boost. The once-understated destination is now overwhelmed by visitors hoping to relive nan show’s iconic moments. Local businesses are benefiting from this caller influx, pinch hotels, restaurants, and tours seeing a melodramatic uptick successful bookings.

Similarly, Hallstatt, a UNESCO World Heritage Site successful Austria, has seen its adjacent stock of set-jetting tourists. Once a quiet lakeside colony pinch only 800 residents, it now attracts up to 10,000 visitors regular during highest seasons. Hallstatt’s surge successful fame began aft it appeared successful films for illustration Disney’s Frozen, and nan town’s beauty has since go synonymous pinch nan film’s icy charm. However, nan melodramatic summation successful visitors has led to concerns astir nan village’s expertise to header pinch nan tourism boom, particularly pinch infrastructure that wasn’t built to grip ample crowds.

A Double-Edged Sword: The Strain of Set-Jetting Tourism

While set-jetting boosts tourism, it besides brings challenges. Dubrovnik, Croatia, erstwhile a quiet coastal town, now faces nan strain of overtourism. The city, a filming location for Game of Thrones, welcomed astir 1.5 cardinal visitors successful 2019, pinch nan number increasing annually. This has resulted successful overcrowding, harm to section infrastructure, and accrued surviving costs for residents. The metropolis is moving to negociate this influx, but pinch a organization of conscionable complete 41,000, nan sheer number of visitors poses a important challenge.

Thailand’s Maya Bay provides different illustration of really set-jetting tin person unintended biology consequences. After being featured successful The Beach starring Leonardo DiCaprio, nan pristine bay became a world tourist magnet. Overcrowding and disrespectful behaviour led to terrible biology damage, forcing authorities to adjacent nan area for 4 years. Since reopening successful 2022, nan area now limits visitant numbers and enforces restrictions to sphere nan earthy environment.

The Future of Set-Jetting Tourism: Sustainable Practices and Challenges Ahead

The occurrence of set-jetting tourism successful locations for illustration Switzerland, wherever K-dramas for illustration Crash Landing connected You and Queen of Tears person sparked a surge successful Asian visitors, highlights nan increasing power of world media connected travel. The picturesque Swiss villages of Grindelwald, Interlaken, and Iseltwald person go cardinal stops for visitors looking to locomotion successful nan footsteps of their favourite K-drama characters.

However, location is an urgent request for sustainable tourism practices to guarantee that these destinations tin proceed to thrive without being overwhelmed. Governments, including France, are already laying nan groundwork for responsible tourism. Atout France, nan country’s tourism improvement agency, has invested heavy successful sustainability, pinch a attraction connected promoting ecological travel, spreading visitors crossed regions, and encouraging longer stays to trim unit connected celebrated spots for illustration Paris and nan French Riviera.

As for The White Lotus, nan upcoming 4th season, expected to beryllium group successful France, whitethorn bring much visitors to destinations for illustration Paris, Megève, and nan Côte d’Azur. While tourism authorities successful France are committed to sustainability, nan state faces nan delicate equilibrium of maintaining its position arsenic nan world’s astir visited destination while avoiding nan antagonistic effects of wide tourism. Cannes, for example, has introduced strict regulations connected cruise ships, capping rider visits to sphere nan section environment.

While set-jetting tourism tin beryllium a boon for section economies, it brings important challenges, including overcrowding, biology degradation, and strain connected infrastructure. The cardinal to ensuring nan semipermanent occurrence of set-jetting tourism will beryllium nan take of sustainable tourism practices that equilibrium nan benefits of accrued tourism pinch nan preservation of nan taste and biology integrity of these iconic destinations.

By promoting responsible travel, encouraging exploration beyond accepted tourist hotspots, and investing successful eco-friendly infrastructure, nan tourism manufacture tin guarantee that nan beauty of these locations continues to animate travelers without causing lasting harm. As nan inclination of set-jetting continues to grow, it’s clear that nan destinations featured on-screen will play an progressively important domiciled successful shaping nan early of world travel.