According to the Food and Wine Tourism Report, the tendency of tourists to visit Italian film locations, known as set-jetting, is on the rise.
Set-jetting is travel to locations featured in films and TV series
Of the wine tourism destinations that have become movie sets, the Germans prefer Chianti (38%) and the Montepulciano area (27%), the English prefer Etna (33%), and among Americans Chianti still dominates (41%). What is the common denominator? They are places that have invested directly or indirectly in film productions. Set-jetting, or travelling to locations featured in films and TV series - is confirmed as one of the trends for 2025, with an increasingly important spin-off on food and wine tourism. Research from Expedia indicates that viewing this content influenced choices for 66% of respondents while on the British market Accor found that 24% of travellers are inclined to visit the locations of their favourite films or TV series, while a Euronews travel report estimates that they are 2.4 more likely to visit star destinations.
Etna, Chianti and Montepulciano are top set-jetting locations
As highlighted in the “Report on Italian Food & Wine Tourism,” edited by Roberta Garibaldi, president of the Italian Food & Wine Tourism Association, the phenomenon of set-jetting is among the ten trends that will shape the sector in the year 2025. "Streaming platforms and available multimedia content play an important role in increasing the visibility of food & wine destinations. Emblematic examples are Etna, Chianti and Montepulciano, among the most popular Italian wine destinations, which have also gained great popularity thanks to the TV series “White Lotus” and “Twilight,- says Roberta Garibaldi. "Destinations can seize this opportunity, but with caution so that the increase in flows is sustainable and balanced.
Food, wine and film and TV-inspired places
TV series and film productions are playing an increasingly important role with 29% of Italian travellers claiming to have been influenced by them when choosing their destination or food and wine experiences, marking a 4% increase on 2024. Interestingly, this phenomenon has become transversal: previously, it was mainly younger people (Generation Z and Millennials) who were inspired by TV series and films; today, the intergenerational variations are minimal (range 27%-31%), confirming the tendency of tourists to want to follow in the footsteps of their favourite characters and visit their favourite places.
