Measuring the ‘White Lotus effect’: How TV and film locations impact travel
As White Lotus season three is released, executive producer Mark Kamine explains the behind-the-scenes wrangling and key challenges when choosing a filming location.
It’s being called the “White Lotus effect”: the way that major TV shows influence the way we travel, thanks to the hit TV show that’s back on 16 February 2025.
The black comedy-drama, written by Mike White, is in a new location for a third season, following the guests and staff of fictional five-star resort, the White Lotus. The dark drama satirises the excesses of the rich, set against the struggles of the staff, in a glamorous setting.
It’s thrilling, pacey stuff with beautiful people, gripping action and a tense setup that tells you from episode one, that although this looks like paradise, something terrible is going to happen. In the first season, a coffin is unloaded from a plane; while in the second, a body is discovered floating in the sea by a guest. Season three’s trailer is peppered with shots of guns and whispers of body bags amid the palm trees and luxury spa treatments.
Despite the gory details and the lampooning of the rich, everyone wants to stay at the White Lotus. When it was announced mid 2024 that Thailand would be the location for the TV show’s third season, global interest in travel to the country soared, with booking platforms reporting immediate increases in searches, and airlines including Finnair adding extra weekly flights to Phuket. Hotels.com reported a 40% spike in booking interest for the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, one of the filming locations.
The expectations come with a precedent: the Sicilian hotel, the Four Seasons San Domenico Palace in Taormina, Sicily, where season two was filmed, reported it was booked out for six months when it reopened after filming and continues to attract guests wanting a slice of the White Lotus lifestyle. The original White Lotus, the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, Hawaii, said it saw a 425% uptick year on year in website visits and 386% increase in availability checks.
