First Hawaii, then Sicily, and now Thailand.
The past two seasons of The White Lotus spurred a surge in set-jetting visitors who wanted to visit the region where the HBO show was filmed. Ahead of season three, which was shot in the Land of Smiles, Thai tourism officials are anticipating a boost all across the country.
“I believe there was more than a 20 percent increase in visitors in Hawaii and Sicily, based on Seasons 1 and 2,” Chompu Marusachot, director of the Thailand Tourism Authority’s New York office, told Bloomberg. “I can only hope that the momentum will be the same from Thailand.”
According to Hotels.com, the booking site already clocked a 40 percent spike in searches for Thailand’s Four Seasons Koh Samui—which will serve as homebase for season three. Similarly, travel agency Fora is fielding requests from travelers eager to stay at the hotel. “I recently had a new client couple come to me and say, ‘We heard White Lotus is set in Thailand next season. Can you book us at the same resort before it gets too popular?” Rabis Malik, an adviser at the company, told Bloomberg. “I planned their entire trip around the Four Seasons Koh Samui, and they’re so excited to be heading there in a few weeks.”
RELATED: ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3 Official Trailer Just Dropped
It’s not just the Four Seasons that’s drawing travelers, either. In fact, the whole country is seeing interest thanks to The White Lotus’s many filming locales. The local tourism authority announced last year that the next installment would be shot in and around Bangkok and Phuket, in addition to Ko Samui. According to Fora, the agency saw booking to Thailand increase 312 percent in January 2025 compared to 2024.
Interestingly, interest in Sicilian vacations is growing again, likely due to fans who are rewatching season two in preparation. The latest data from Italian specialists Citalia showed a 5,000 percent increase in searches for ‘where was The White Lotus season 2 filmed’ and “Sicily holidays” in the last 30 days. If you recall, the installment followed guests around Taormina, Noto, and Cefalù.
Season three will venture outside of the Four Seasons with the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok and Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas getting involved in filming. The lobby of the latter, per Bloomberg, will serve as the White Lotus spa. Even if the whole hotel isn’t on display, the property still foresees a 20 percent boost in business.
How’s that for the White Lotus effect?
