In the upper part of New Zealand’s North Island, the landscape is breathtakingly beautiful. Near Matamata, lush green, undulating land, mostly a series of fells, is speckled with sheep and punctuated by occasional farmhouses. That’s until the road suddenly ends inside the land of the Hobbits, those adorable creatures from The Lord of the Rings series. That’s when breathtaking becomes surreal.
The Hobbiton Movie Set is a bit like entering the fantasy land of a Hobbit village. It comprises Hobbit houses built into the hillsides with bright, colourful, round doors under wooden arches fronted by miniature gardens and mossy picket fences. There’s also a lake with the mill and water wheel by its side, the Green Dragon Inn, the oak tree at Bag End … if there ever was a Middle Earth this is it.
As I stand and stare, mesmerised, I hear a deep sigh from a couple of fellow travellers I have befriended on the tour. “Feels like a dream come true, this is so worth it,” says Nora, a media consultant from Australia.
Her friend Sophie responds, “After this, it’s on to Misty Mountains, Fanghorn Forest and Ithilien Camp.” The references are all fictional places from the movie series that are located around Queenstown, about 1,400-kilometres south.
Around the world, now more than ever, travellers are flocking to locations popularised by movies and television series, in a trend called set-jetting that began surging in 2023 and is set to dominate 2024 as well.
Think Sicily (The White Lotus), Paris (Emily in Paris), Romania (Wednesday), Croatia (Game of Thrones), Norway (Mission Impossible), Ireland (Banshees of Insherin), England (The Crown, Bridgerton) and so on.
Global travel technology company Expedia had predicted that in 2023 travellers would turn to the small and big screens for inspiration. More than half those surveyed say they’ve booked a trip to a destination after seeing it on a TV show or movie.
Expedia says the trend will continue into next year, after a new survey of 20,000 travellers found more than half say they’ve researched or booked a trip to a destination after watching a series or movie. One in four say TV shows and films are more influential on their travel plans than ever before, and more so than Instagram, TikTok and podcasts.
Based on this, the company expects destinations such as Thailand (The White Lotus season three), Malta (Gladiator 2), the Scottish Highlands (Outlander), South Korea (Squid Game season two) and Greece (Argylle) to trend in 2024.
The fad is particularly prevalent in India, finds travel search aggregator Skyscanner in its 2024 forecast. Its survey revealed that a staggering 94 per cent of travellers from the subcontinent have been motivated to go on a trip to a destination seen on the big or small screen, but only 62 per cent went on to book.
Skyscanner said Emily in Paris was by far the most popular inspiration, with more than 42 per cent of Indian travellers aspiring to see the French capital through the eyes of protagonist Emily Cooper. And the company said it saw a 23 per cent month-on-month increase in searches after the launch of season three last December.
Interestingly, set-jetting in the Indian market started several years ago, but was mostly directed towards Switzerland, popularised almost single-handedly by Bollywood director-producer Yash Chopra, who is known for filming lavish songs against the backdrop of the Swiss Alps. But it picked up pace over the last few years as Bollywood movies explored other foreign locales.
“This phenomenon used to work very well in the mass segment and influence came a lot from family dramas and TV series,” says Loveleen Multani Arun of Bengaluru-based Panache World, a boutique travel solutions company. “Many destinations such as Malaysia, Australia, Turkey and New Zealand benefitted a lot from this.”
But Arun says the recent spike is a drive by luxury travellers seeking destinations inspired by Hollywood and streaming platforms. “Emily in Paris gave rise to a whole new wave of people visiting or revisiting Paris. The latest craze is [also dominated by] travelling to locales of the hugely successful show The White Lotus.”
Four Seasons Taormina, a five-star Sicilian property that featured in The White Lotus, has a price tag of 2,000 euros ($2,188) per night but is already reporting sold out dates for all of next summer, she adds.
Service providers are trying to cash in with engaging products that tie into the trend. Earlier this year immersive luxury travel experience provider Black Tomato, from London, launched The Assignment, a journey to signature destinations inspired by James Bond movies. The itinerary takes travellers through five countries – the UK, France, Austria, Italy and Monaco – with stays in hotels such as Corinthia in London and Metropole in Monte Carlo. And just to make the experience as authentic as possible, guests also train with a stunt coordinator.
Most recently, the UAE’s Dharma, a tour company that designs experiential excursions, became Netflix’s official partner for Emily in Paris-themed trips. These promise to take travellers “to the heart of the Parisian experience”, led by fashion influencers, allowing guests to “channel Emily’s courageous spirit, push boundaries, provoke discovery and champion learning of the best kind”.
All this reminds me of the Hobbit experience and the overarching feeling of having walked into a movie, quite literally. It’s incredibly surreal, as fiction and reality seem to segue seamlessly. It’s also immensely joyful and I can understand why the trend has caught on the way it has.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
Results
6.30pm Madjani Stakes Rated Conditions (PA) I Dh160,000 I 1,900m I Winner: Mawahib, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
7.05pm Maiden Dh150,000 I 1,400m I Winner One Season, Antonio Fresu, Satish Seemar
7.40pm: Maiden Dh150,000 I 2,000m I Winner Street Of Dreams, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
8.15pm Dubai Creek Listed I Dh250,000 I 1,600m I Winner Heavy Metal, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.50pm The Entisar Listed I Dh250,000 I 2,000m I Winner Etijaah, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson
9.25pm The Garhoud Listed I Dh250,000 I 1,200m I Winner Muarrab, Dane O’Neill, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
10pm Handicap I Dh160,000 I 1,600m I Winner Sea Skimmer, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi
Fight card
Preliminaries:
Nouredine Samir (UAE) v Sheroz Kholmirzav (UZB); Lucas Porst (SWE) v Ellis Barboza (GBR); Mouhmad Amine Alharar (MAR) v Mohammed Mardi (UAE); Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) v Spyro Besiri (GRE); Aslamjan Ortikov (UZB) v Joshua Ridgwell (GBR)
Main card:
Carlos Prates (BRA) v Dmitry Valent (BLR); Bobirjon Tagiev (UZB) v Valentin Thibaut (FRA); Arthur Meyer (FRA) v Hicham Moujtahid (BEL); Ines Es Salehy (BEL) v Myriame Djedidi (FRA); Craig Coakley (IRE) v Deniz Demirkapu (TUR); Artem Avanesov (ARM) v Badreddine Attif (MAR); Abdulvosid Buranov (RUS) v Akram Hamidi (FRA)
Title card:
Intercontinental Lightweight: Ilyass Habibali (UAE) v Angel Marquez (ESP)
Intercontinental Middleweight: Amine El Moatassime (UAE) v Francesco Iadanza (ITA)
Asian Featherweight: Zakaria El Jamari (UAE) v Phillip Delarmino (PHI)
Ferrari
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BRAZIL%20SQUAD
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Plan to boost public schools
A major shake-up of government-run schools was rolled out across the country in 2017. Known as the Emirati School Model, it placed more emphasis on maths and science while also adding practical skills to the curriculum.
It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.
Aspects of the school model will be extended to international private schools, the education minister has previously suggested.
Recent developments have also included the introduction of moral education - which public and private schools both must teach - along with reform of the exams system and tougher teacher licensing requirements.
The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
Sweet%20Tooth
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