Set-jetting: The world's most cinematic destinations to visit right now

Thailand

The set-jetting story of the moment is Thailand. Season three of The White Lotus was filmed across Koh Samui and Phuket, capturing turquoise waters, gilded temples, and serene pool villas. Fisherman's Village, the site of the show’s Songkran festival scenes, is easy to explore on foot, while Wat Phu Khao Thong temple retains the same tranquil charm seen on screen.

For those looking for a complete White Lotus experience, hotels like the Four Seasons Koh Samui and Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas were central to production. Those seeking quieter adventures can head inland to Chiang Mai and the northern highlands, where verdant landscapes, markets, and temples offer a very different - but equally rewarding - cinematic experience.

Italy

The landscapes and cities of Italy have been pulling set-jetters for decades, but the current wave is remarkable in scale. After The White Lotus season two was filmed in Taormina, Sicily, hotel check-ins in the town doubled - and have remained elevated since. The Four Seasons San Domenico Palace , the show's central hotel, was fully booked for six months after broadcast.

But Sicily is only part of the story. Netflix's Ripley, shot entirely in black and white and almost entirely in Italy, sent a fresh wave of travellers to Naples, Atrani, and Rome. The Amalfi Coast locations used in filming are some of the most dramatically sited in Europe, and the series has introduced people to southern Italy’s charm and dramatic coastal landscapes.

For something more classic, the Amalfi Coast, Rome, and the canals of Venice remain enduring screen favourites - the latter most recently featured in everything from James Bond to The Tourist.

Japan

Japan's moment as a set-jetting destination has been building for years, and Shōgun - the Emmy-winning series - accelerated it significantly. The show sparked enormous international interest in feudal Japan's history and aesthetic, sending travellers to Kyoto's period architecture, Hiroshima, and the castle towns of Kanazawa and Matsumoto in search of the world it depicted.

Tokyo has its own cinematic history: the Park Hyatt Tokyo in Shinjuku, where Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson spend almost the entirety of Lost in Translation, remains one of the most evocative film pilgrimage destinations in the world. The New York Bar on the 52nd floor is still exactly as it was.

USA

America's screen geography is vast and varied, which makes it one of the richest set-jetting destinations in the world. New York City remains a screen favourite, with shows like Succession, Seinfeld, Sex and the City, and Billions bringing its streets, cafés, and high-rise neighbourhoods to life. Meanwhile, Chicago’s restaurant scene, showcased in The Bear, has inspired food-focused visitors to explore West Loop eateries and Fulton Market.

Further west, Montana and Wyoming capture the rugged landscapes of Yellowstone. The Dutton ranch scenes were filmed at Chief Joseph Ranch, surrounded by Glacier National Park, the Beartooth Highway, and Yellowstone National Park itself. These wide-open spaces allow travellers to immerse themselves in cinematic vistas at a relaxed, unhurried pace - whether riding horseback across ranchlands or hiking through national parks.

New Zealand

Two decades on, New Zealand's screen tourism story is still the benchmark. The Lord of the Rings trilogy, released in 2001, caused a 50% increase in visitor numbers to New Zealand - and those visitors never really stopped coming. The Hobbiton Movie Set in Matamata remains one of the country's most popular attractions, and the wider landscape - the Tongariro Alpine Crossing (Mount Doom), the Waitomo Caves, the fjords of Milford Sound - continues to draw travellers who want to experience Middle-earth in full.

What makes New Zealand distinctive as a set-jetting destination is that the films used real, extraordinary landscapes rather than constructed sets. Walking the Tongariro Crossing is genuinely one of the great half-day hikes in the world, regardless of its on-screen associations. The same is true of Milford Sound. The films gave people a reason to go; the country gives them a reason to stay.

Kenya

Africa’s screen presence is less about single blockbusters and more about a consistent, decades-long portrayal of landscapes and wildlife that has lodged itself in the collective imagination. Out of Africa - filmed around the Ngong Hills, Nairobi, and the Laikipia plateau - won seven Academy Awards and remains one of the most powerful advertisements for East Africa ever made. Every major wildlife documentary series, from Planet Earth to Our Planet, has filmed in Kenya's Maasai Mara, too.

It’s a destination people visit because something in the way it's been portrayed across decades has connected with them. The Maasai Mara, the Laikipia Plateau, Amboseli with Kilimanjaro on the horizon - these landscapes look exactly as they do on screen. And that's the whole point.