Exploring the travel trend of visiting filming locations
🎬 You Are Going to Watch...
You are going to watch a video clip from CNBC about the travel trend known as "set-jetting," where fans book vacations to the real-life locations of their favorite TV shows and movies. The report focuses on the significant economic impact of this trend, highlighting how the HBO series The White Lotus has caused tourism to skyrocket in Maui, Sicily, and now Thailand.
Reminder: Now, before you watch the video, take a look at the vocabulary list by clicking the button hovering on your screen. This is where you can always access the vocabulary list for this unit. Familiarize yourself with those important words and expressions.
📺 Watch the Video
Watch the CNBC video about set-jetting and pay attention to the economic impact of this travel trend.
Video: CNBC report on set-jetting travel trends
Video Comprehension Questions
Choose the best answer to each question.
📖 Read and Answer
Cloze Test
In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank. Read the passage carefully before making your choices. You must not use any of the words in the bank more than once.
Word Bank
Instructions: Click a word from the bank below, then click on a blank in the passage to fill it. Double-click a filled blank to remove the word. Each word can only be used once.
Have you ever watched a movie and wished you could visit the beautiful places you see on screen? There's a name for that: "set-jetting." It's a travel trend where people visit the real-life
where their favorite movies and TV shows were filmed. More and more travelers are planning entire vacations around these famous spots, hoping to feel like they are part of the story.
It's exciting to imagine walking through the same castle as a wizard or standing on a beach from a famous superhero movie. The idea of set-jetting is to
with these stories in a new way. Visiting these places can make the movie world feel
. For example, fans of the show Bridgerton can visit beautiful old homes in England, while fans of The Lord of the Rings have traveled all the way to New Zealand to see its stunning mountains and green hills. This trend has gained so much popularity that it helps local towns by bringing in more visitors and money.
However, it's important to remember that what you see on screen might not be
what you find in real life. Filmmakers are experts at creating a fantasy. They use special effects, called CGI, to add amazing castles or
the look of a landscape. A quiet, romantic street in a movie might actually be a busy road filled with cars and crowds of people. Sometimes, a cute cafe or shop was just a
set built for the movie and was taken down after filming finished.
To have the best set-jetting trip, it helps to manage your
, and embrace the place for what it is, not just what it might
on television. The key is to see the filming site as a starting point for exploration, not the
destination. Appreciate the real-world history of the castle, enjoy the authentic culture of the city, and understand that your visit is one layer in a place with its own identity. Travelers should
the fantasy with an appreciation for the authentic destination. In doing so, they can ensure their set-jetting trip is a memorable experience, celebrating both the magic of filmmaking and the reality of the incredible places where it happens.
🎧 Listen and Answer
Listening Exercise
Audio: Dialogue about set-jetting
Having trouble? You can now view the transcript to help you understand the conversation better.
Conversation Transcript
🎤 Speaking Practice
Speaking Exercise
Practice speaking about set-jetting and travel trends. Choose one or more topics below to discuss.
1. Personal Choice
• Would you ever go on a set-jetting vacation? Why or why not?
• If you could visit the real-life location of any movie or TV show, where would you go? What would you hope to see or do there?
2. The "White Lotus" Paradox
• The expert in the video finds it "kind of crazy" that people want to vacation in a place where the show's characters died. Do you agree that it's strange?
• Why do you think the beautiful scenery of a show can be more powerful than its dark storyline for tourists?
3. Pros and Cons
• What do you think are the biggest advantages for a small town or region when it becomes a famous filming location?
• What are some of the potential disadvantages or problems this trend could cause for the people who live there?
🎤 Record Your Answer
Click "Start Recording" to begin
✍️ Writing Practice
Writing Exercise
✍️ Your Writing Task
Persuasive Letter to a Tourism Board
Imagine your hometown was recently used as the main filming location for a major new movie. Write a formal letter (200-250 words) to your local tourism board.
In your letter, you must:
1. Acknowledge the potential economic benefits the movie will bring.
2. Raise concerns about two potential negative impacts (e.g., traffic, strain on local resources, environmental damage).
3. Suggest one or two specific actions the board could take to manage the influx of tourists responsibly.
(Remember to use a formal tone, clear structure, and polite language.)
📝 Formal Letter Structure Guide:
1.Header: Your address and date
2.Recipient: Tourism Board address and greeting
3.Opening: State your purpose and acknowledge benefits
4.Body: Present concerns and suggestions
5.Closing: Polite conclusion and formal sign-off
0 words
Target: 200-250 words
💡 Writing Tips
• Use formal language and avoid contractions (don't → do not)
• Be specific about potential problems and solutions
• Maintain a respectful and constructive tone throughout
• Include concrete examples to support your points