Hawaii and Sicily each noticed a big enhance in worldwide arrivals following the debut of “The White Lotus” seasons set there, and Thailand might get the identical enhance.
Season 3 is ready to kick off on February 16, with filming areas in Bangkok, Phuket, and Koh Samui.
Thailand has benefited from international movies set within the nation for years. There was 1974’s “The Man with the Golden Gun,” “The Seaside” with Leonardo DiCaprio in 2000, and “The Hangover II” in 2011.
In 2024, the nation had 32 million international vacationers. The highest 5 supply markets had been China, Malaysia, India, South Korea, and Russia.
Its objective for 2025 is for no less than 36 million guests, with a lot of the expansion from the North American market, the place most of “The White Lotus” viewership is predicated.
“I feel the upcoming season of ‘The White Lotus’ will assist refine Thailand’s picture world wide,” mentioned Anoma Vongyai, Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s workplace in Chicago. “Outdated perceptions” of Southeast Asia as “synonymous with low price range journey” generally persist, Vongyai mentioned, however she hoped the present “will lastly put them to relaxation.”
Accommodations Get Prepared
The final two seasons of “The White Lotus” had been set at 4 Seasons properties.
Net searches for cities in Italy rose over 50% in December 2022 after Sicily turned the filming location for season 2. In 2023, vacationers stuffed rooms in 4 Seasons’ San Domenico Palace in Taormina, Sicily, the placement for the fictional “White Lotus” resort chain.
The shoot areas for this season are 4 Seasons Resort Koh Samui and Anantara Mai Khao Villas Phuket, operated by Minor Accommodations.
Minor Accommodations has already noticed a rise in inquiries, however “the actual surge in reserving volumes will begin after the primary episodes air,” Ian Di Tullio, Chief Business Officer, instructed Skift.
Di Tullio mentioned the property is “nicely positioned” to accommodate an elevated demand and has “strategically deliberate” for it.
Vacationers Searching for to ‘Dwell’ the White Lotus Expertise
Abercrombie and Kent, a luxurious journey firm, mentioned a “distinctive pattern” of vacationers asking to ‘reside’ the White Lotus expertise emerged following the primary two seasons of the present.
For instance, vacationers requested the corporate to rearrange restaurant reservations with seats on the identical tables because the TV scenes confirmed, a spokeswoman for Abercrombie and Kent mentioned.
The corporate has seen a 5% enhance in curiosity to journey to Thailand to date, however anticipated this to develop as soon as the season was launched.
Demand for film and TV-themed excursions greater than doubled in 2024 in comparison with pre-pandemic years, in line with a spokesperson Viator, an internet journey company for journey experiences.
Viator was additionally “already noticing early indicators that the pattern will proceed in Thailand.” Tour bookings in Koh Samui had been up by over 30% in comparison with this identical time final 12 months, they mentioned.
It is anticipated that related “immersive” excursions already on supply in different “White Lotus” areas will emerge in Thailand. One current day tour, in Sicily, for instance, takes guests from the primary 4 Seasons location, by means of a route that Tania and Greg (characters within the present) travelled on their Vespa, and to an space the place one other character performed sports activities each morning, earlier than stopping for lunch.
Vongyai from the Tourism Authority of Thailand mentioned the company was “already working with companions to organize packages, particularly from the USA and Canada, that can permit guests to reside the ‘White Lotus’ expertise, go to areas seen within the new season, and to eat and drink just like the characters.”
When it comes to flights, a number of airways Skift contacted had been unable to touch upon whether or not the present has created extra demand for flights, however Etihad mentioned that, separate from the present, it has just lately “ramped up its flights to Phuket” and can supply 4 weekly providers to Chiang Mai from November 2025.
Whereas the present is related to luxurious journey, the Tourism Authority of Thailand mentioned it additionally expects “center and price range pleasant journey to profit from the recognition of the sequence.”
Coping With Elevated Journey Curiosity
Vongyai expects the nation to manage nicely with elevated curiosity in visits with new visa rules making it simpler to enter Thailand and keep longer.
In 2024, Thailand carried out visa exemptions for residents of 93 nations together with the USA, permitting stays of as much as 60 days.
The nation has additionally launched the Vacation spot Thailand Visa (DTV), a 5-year visa designed with digital nomads and distant staff in thoughts.
