The concept of “set-jetting” – traveling to destinations and properties
seen in movies or TV shows – has taken off in the past year as shows such as “White Lotus” have driven a spike in bookings.
According to the American Express 2023 Global Travel Trends Report,
based on surveys of 3,000 travelers in the United States and six other
countries, 64% of respondents agree they have been inspired to travel to a
destination after seeing it featured on a TV show, news source or movie.
Expedia Group shared similar results last fall in a report based
on surveys and first-party data that found 61% of travelers had booked a trip
after seeing the destination in a show or movie.
“Streamed moves and TV shows are now the top sources of travel
inspiration (40%), outpacing the influence of social media … and on par with
recommendations from friends and family,” according to the report, The No-Normal: Unexpected Travel Trends in 2023.
To helps its partners respond to this trend, Expedia Group has
created a new “shoppable” streaming platform through its Expedia Group Media
Solutions advertising unit.
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The interactive solution lets viewers book travel as they are
watching video content.
The platform is launching with Brand USA as its first partner. The
destination marketing organization for the United States has created a website
targeted to travelers from Canada, with additional markets in the
pipeline, that showcases videos of trips across the U.S. with links to book
hotels, experiences and flights while watching.
“At Brand
USA, we pride ourselves in being the nation’s storyteller and bringing U.S.
cities and states to life through compelling short- and long-form video content.
We understand that film and TV is a powerful motivator of travel,” said Staci
Mellman, senior vice president of integrated marketing at Brand USA.
“We are excited to be partners with Expedia Group in launching this new
technology platform, and for us, this initiative represents the next evolution
of storytelling - guiding consumers from awareness to action by giving them the
opportunity to directly book what they see on screen.”
The site is
configured so Brand USA can track and measure the impact of the content on
travelers’ booking decisions.
“This platform is truly the first of its kind in a world where
inspirational travel content is constantly evolving and symbolizes the next
phase in entertainment tourism. The new technology creates a space where
someone can consume engaging travel content and book experiences in the same
place at the same time, effectively ‘shopping the series’,” said Angelique
Miller, vice president of Media Studios at Expedia Group.
“We’re thrilled Brand USA are working with us, and that we can extend the reach
of their exciting and innovative travel content to new audiences by marrying it
up with our breadth and depth of bookable hotel, flights and activities options
on our sites.”