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It is still more than a year away from a big-screen release, but interest in the new Star Wars movie is already seemingly having an impact on our travel plans.

Back with a bang: The three big stars of the original Star Wars film will all feature in the latest movie

New travel figures reveal that a film lovers are apparently booking trips to Abu Dhabi, where portions of the seventh movie in the feted franchise are currently being created.

Statistics released by holiday accommodation website LateRooms.com show a 19 per cent increase in hotel reservations for breaks to Dubai's big Emirati neighbour.

Desert delight: Star Wars movies have also been filmed at Ong El Jemel, in Tunisia

Thanks to its sandy landscape, Abu Dhabi is currently masquerading as Tatooine, the fictional planet at the heart of the Star Wars tale that – as all good Jedis know – is the home of both Luke Skywalker and his father Anakin (better known as Darth Vader).

Images from the set which leaked online earlier this month appear to show scenes being filmed in the desert palace of Jabba the Hutt – the giant slug-like alien who dies in Return of the Jedi, after being strangled by Princess Leia.

Pieces of movie history: The Sidi Driss Hotel is still visible in Matmata, Tunisia

'As one of the biggest film franchises, it is not surprising that Star Wars fans are eager to sneak a glimpse of any filming action they can,' says Lynda Matthews of LateRooms.com.

'We would not be surprised to see the bookings continue to rise as fans flock to the desert to combine a short break with a glimpse of Hollywood action.'

The announcement, made in 2012, that three new Star Wars movies will be produced, has further invigorated interest in a franchise that is never short of devotees.

Cinematic classics: Remnants of Star Wars sets also linger in the desert at Tozeur in Tunisia

The original Star Wars trilogy dominated cinematic release schedules between 1977 and 1983, and made celebrities of actors like Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill.

A second trilogy, released between 1999 and 2005 – including the much-anticipated Episode I: The Phantom Menace – was less well received by critics, but still sparked enormous profits at the box office.

Unfavoured: A snapshot of Tatooine - and the little-loved character Jar Jar Binks - from The Phantom Menace

Star Wars has also shone a spotlight onto Tunisia, which featured heavily in the first trilogy.

The north African country's sparse contours made a perfect double for Tatooine, with key passages filmed in locations such as Matmata, Tozeur and the island of Djerba.

And away from the film set: Abu Dhabi is better known for the beauty of the Sheikh Zayed Mosque

Tataouine, in southern Tunisia, also inspired the name of the movie planet.

As yet untitled, Stars Wars Episode VII is due to be released in time for Christmas 2015.