TV Tourism
What do the pristine white beaches of Maui, the Regency buildings of Bath, UK, and the sun-drenched olive groves of Sicily all have in common? According to Expedia’s 2023 Travel Trend Report, these captivating locations have each experienced a significant uptick in travel after starring as a beguiling backdrop in a top TV show.
Screen tourism is nothing new, but it is proving exceptionally powerful, with no sign of slowing down. Whether it’s the sweeping landscapes of New Zealand in The Rings of Power, the romantic vision of fashionable city life in Emily in Paris, or Jeju Island’s verdant, volcanic landscapes, as featured in South Korea’s Squid Game, these dramatic settings play a starring role.
Here are the trending travel destinations most sought after by set-jetters for 2023.
Enticing Italy
In Stanley Tucci: Searching For Italy, the renowned actor discovers the country through food: pizza in Naples, buffalo mozzarella in Amalfi, cicchetti in Venice, and freshly caught fish in Lake Como. He uncovers the chefs, kitchens, and local ingredients that make each dish so authentically delicious, set against seductive backdrops of idyllic coastlines, cobblestone streets, and columned Renaissance buildings. Travel like Tucci and embark on a culinary tour of Italy, visiting the Armando al Pantheon restaurant in Rome, or the historic Quadrilatero Market in Bologna.
Epic New Zealand
New Zealand’s epic, otherworldly landscapes have been synonymous with Middle Earth since Peter Jackson’s The Fellowship of the Ring hit theaters in 2002. Visitor numbers have steadily increased since then, and the trend has only accelerated following the release of Amazon’s The Rings Of Power. The Coromandel Peninsula, overlooking Auckland from the other side of the Hauraki Gulf, provided many settings for the island of Numenor in the show, including the expansive sandy Anawhata Beach, and Te Whanganui-A-Hei, also known as Cathedral Cove.
Historic United Kingdom
82 million Netflix accounts watched Bridgerton within 28 days of its premiere in December 2021, and its success has endured ever since. The show’s scenes of Regency life, many of them shot in Bath, seized travelers’ imaginations. The Crown has also captured audiences’ fascination for regal intrigue in the British Isles. As a result, London and its key royal sites such as Buckingham Palace are trending. Also popular are the Scottish Highlands – the home of Balmoral Castle. As demonstrated in these shows, a UK break delivers historic splendor in spades, alongside mountainous coastlines, bucolic countryside, and culture-rich capital cities.
Adventurous Hawaii
In series one of the tense, dark comedy The White Lotus, action unfolds like a play in one singular location: a luxurious hotel resort in Hawaii. It was filmed at the upscale Four Seasons Maui in Wailea, although a number of other luxury hotels can be found on this side of the island, including the Grand Wailea, the Andaz Maui, and Wailea Beach Resort. The White Lotus highlights the natural beauty of Hawaii, perfect for hiking, surfing, and sunbathing. Season two moves from Hawaii to equally gorgeous Sicily, renowned for its golden beaches, ancient sights, and delightful hotels.
Elegant Paris
Emily in Paris invites audiences into an intimate, idealized vision of Parisian life. As one of the most intensely romanticized destinations in the world, Paris has always been a city for dreamers. Now a new group of travelers is getting a taste for the joie de vivre, inspired by the fictional, high-fashion life of Emily, played by actress Lily Collins. Make like Emily and stroll the Pont des Arts bridge, clink glasses at famed brasserie La Coupole, or see the city by water on a Bateaux-Mouches river cruise.
Dynamic New York
Inventing Anna depicts fraudster Anna Sorokin, a Russian-born German con artist who tricked the New York art world by posing as a wealthy heiress. Follow in Anna’s footsteps at sumptuous hotels including 11 Howard and The Mercer – just remember to pay the bill when you leave.
New York also plays a starring role in HBO’s reboot sequel to the Sex and The City franchise, And Just Like That…, which spotlights sociable spots such as the Whitney Museum cafe, The East Pole restaurant, and Bethesda Terrace in Central Park. Both shows reaffirm the energy and idiosyncratic style of the 24-hour city, bustling with low-lit, lively restaurants, chic galleries, and picture-perfect park benches.
The Travel Trends Report is based on a study that was conducted on behalf of Expedia Brands (Expedia, Hotels.com, Vrbo & Wotif) by OnePoll, a global strategic research firm. The survey was conducted online from September 22 – October 14, 2022, across North and South America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific using an amalgamated group of best-in-class panels. The study was conducted among 24,000 respondents across 17 countries, amongst adults who are planning domestic or international travel in the next 36 months.