Setjetting

Set-jetting is the trend of traveling to destinations that are first seen in movies. For instance, touring London in a high-speed boat like James Bond or visiting the stately homes that are seen in the Jane Austen films. Term was first coined in the US press in the "New York Post" by journalist Gretchen Kelly.

Currently, summer blockbuster movies are being used as set-jetting marketing tools by companies like Expedia and Fandango, who are promoting set-jetting tie-ins to the new Steven Spielberg film, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull".

Corporations, convention and tourism boards are exploiting the trend, creating their own set-jetting travel maps, like the "Elizabeth I" movie map published by VisitBritain (www.visitbritain.com). Other recent movie-tie ins done by tourism boards include France (The "Da Vinci Code"), Belgium ("In Bruges") and Ireland ("P.S., I Love You").

Although set-jetting is a new concept, it's fast becoming a major factor in the choices travelers make in an increasingly tight economic climate. If a traveler has seen a site in a major motion picture, its media exposure makes it a compelling choice for a family vacation, honeymoon or incentive trip.

The next film to have major set-jetting potential is the upcoming Daniel Craig James Bond film, "Quantum of Solace", with its locations spotlighting London, Italy and other upscale European sites.