The White Lotus has returned, welcoming a fresh batch of addictively awful characters to another lush part of the world where, despite their best efforts, someone always comes home in a body bag.
After stays in Hawaii and Sicily, the third season of Mike White’s Emmy-winning social satire anthology takes place in Thailand on the idyllic island of Koh Samui.
Thailand will be hoping to ride the wave of film tourism, where travellers book their next holiday based on the locations they see on screen.
And according to experts, it is a powerful marketing phenomenon.
The White Lotus effect
While the White Lotus is a fictional resort, in reality, HBO struck a deal with the Four Seasons last October after using its Maui and Taormina locations for seasons one and two, respectively.
Four Seasons executive vice-president and chief commercial officer Marc Speichert told ABC News the hotel and resort chain observed “significant interest” from guests following The White Lotus.
“The growth in visitor numbers has been truly remarkable,” Mr Speichert said.
“Maui experienced a 425 per cent year-over-year increase in website visits and a 386 per cent increase in availability checks during season one alone.
After the first two seasons of The White Lotus, Expedia saw searches for Hawaii and Sicily each spike 300 per cent, though the travel website did not provide raw numbers.
‘Multifaceted phenomenon’
When producers began location scouting, tourism authorities in Thailand pulled out all the stops to lure the critically acclaimed production to its shores.
Tourism Authority of Thailand executive Siripakorn Cheawsamoot said, “We approached The White Lotus production team and then we talked with them about trying to bring their budget costs down with potential partners.”
According to Associate Professor Monica Chien, a tourism behaviour and destination marketing expert from UQ Business School, Thailand’s bid for The White Lotus underscores “the immense value of film tourism as a strategic tool for destination marketing and economic growth”.
“Film tourism is a multifaceted phenomenon that encompasses a wide range of activities and cultural experiences, all of which can significantly influence a destination’s image and drive visitation,” she told ABC News.
Cinema and tourism ‘deeply intertwined’
The White Lotus isn’t the only show giving viewers finding travel inspiration.
According to Expedia, Ted Lasso prompted a 160 per cent surge for searches for Richmond, the leafy suburb of London, following its second season.
Meanwhile, searches for the Scottish Highlands recorded a 190 per cent ramp-up following the second season of The Traitors, compared with data from two years prior.
“The relationship between cinema and tourism is deeply intertwined,” Dr Chien says.
Audiences are only just getting to know the characters of season three, but The White Lotus has already been renewed for a fourth season.
As for where viewers can expect the show to travel to next?
HBO programming executive Francesca Orsi told Deadline, “I can’t really say where we’re going to land but chances are, somewhere in Europe.”
