Film sets 'are top destinations for holidaymakers'

People travelling abroad are increasingly choosing to visit the setting of their favourite films, it has been claimed.

Coining a new term, Tom Griffiths, founder of Gapyear.com, described such people as "set-jetters", who travel the globe visiting the sites of different films.

Popular destinations for set-jetters include New Zealand, where fans of Lord of the Rings can travel in the footsteps of Frodo Baggins and Gandalf the Grey.

People of all ages are venturing to New Zealand for adventures of their own, according to the website, with older gappers aged 55 to 65 going on experiential jaunts.

"The first one we saw was The Beach and we still have lots of backpackers going off to Koh Tao to see where The Beach was set," Mr Griffiths said.

Gap years are a very lucrative market, according to a report by Mintel, which states that it is the fastest growing travel sector of the millennium.

Fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean films may wish to take a Caribbean holiday to relive the excitement of the film, which stars Johnny Depp and Keira Knightley.