Location Vacation — How ‘The White Lotus’ Is Changing Travel

While the origins of set-jetting predate the hit series, the concept has been dubbed “The White Lotus Effect” because of the show’s direct impact on Four Seasons’ hotels and greater tourism in the countries where filming has taken place.

“Maui experienced a 425% year-over-year increase in website visits and a 386% increase in availability checks during season one alone,” Marc Speichert, executive vice president and chief commercial officer, Four Seasons, told The Sybarite.

Tourism boards have actively capitalised on the show’s popularity to promote their destinations, having witnessed notable surges. According to Google Trends data, US searches for Sicily roughly doubled between late October and early December after the release of season two. Koh Samui, meanwhile, observed an increase in travel-related searches before season three was even broadcast. Could we see see bidding wars between various destinations for future seasons?

The Tourism Authority of Thailand has welcomed the attention generated by the show, with local businesses and the wider economy set to benefit as a result.

The exotic change of scenery for each season is about more than just Instagram-worthy aesthetics. The show’s creator, Mike White, has mastered the art of shocking and delighting his audience, describing the third season as having an ‘operatic and dramatic dimension’.

“I think that for the show to feel fresh, it needs to either expand or shift or change,” he muses. “This season is dealing with more religion and spirituality and God, so the show itself and the stories these characters existential and tragic.”

Choosing Thailand was critical in conveying these themes, with White’s desire to explore Eastern religion as the inspiration.

“The Buddhist ethos is very ripe with stories and characters, and I got excited about the spiritual dimension of Buddhism and how it has such an impact on the people and overall culture that you experience, even indirectly,” he says.

Despite the deep and often dark subject matter, the show always has a sense of escapism. Only The White Lotus could make an audience gawk at the ugly side of human nature, while simultaneously sparking a craving for an Aperol Spritz. When that sense of wanderlust inevitably hits, Four Seasons hotels are eager to welcome this new wave of pop-culture travellers.

“As enthusiasm for The White Lotus continues to translate into real- world travel demand, we’re excited to bring these experiences to even more guests around the world,” Speichert said.

The White Lotus is available to stream on Sky Atlantic.