Some TV shows just hit the spot, don’t they? I’ve been hooked on The White Lotus since season 1, with the latest series being no exception. Beautiful people in beautiful resorts in beautiful destinations – what’s not to love?
Last year I wrote about ‘Swiftonomics’ i.e. the effect popstar Taylor Swift has on the local economy wherever she tours. But another cultural phenomenon worth delving into is the rise of set-jetting. This is when people’s wanderlust is sparked by destinations they see on screen (think The Lord of the Rings and New Zealand).
What is The White Lotus?
For the uninitiated, The White Lotus is a US drama series which follows the complex relationships of wealthy guests and the staff at the fictional White Lotus holiday resort. Set over the course of a week, unsettling dynamics start to emerge, typically winding up to a dramatic series finale. Each season is set in a different location, with season 1 in Hawaii, season 2 in Sicily and season 3 in Thailand.
Each series is shot on location. The latest series was filmed predominantly at The Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui in Thailand, which I am reliably informed, is very much as stunning as what we see on screen (alas, I’ll probably never be able to verify that – a Travelodge in Hartlepool is pretty much all my budget could stretch to).
The stats
The White Lotus is now so firmly embedded as a global must-see that wherever it goes, money follows. Let's look at the stats. When the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea (the fictional White Lotus of Season 1) reopened after filming, they reported a staggering 386% increase in availability checks while Domenico Palace in Sicily (Season 2's location) was reportedly booked out for six months after the show was broadcast across the world. According to Expedia data, both series collectively contributed to a remarkable 300% increase in travel demand for their respective destinations, further demonstrating the show's powerful influence on tourism.
What about the latest series?
Given the huge fanbase The White Lotus has built up over the past few years, it’s little surprise we are already seeing a huge amount of interest in its latest primary location, Koh Samui. Once the first teaser was released, searches for the island jumped by a whopping 40% on Hotels.com, while also seeing a 65% rise from a year ago in bookings by foreign tourists planning to check in between 10th – 17th April 2025.
Interest in the actual Four Seasons Koh Samui hotel has sky-rocketed. Data from Semrush show searches for ‘Four Seasons Koh Samui’ in March increased by over 200% when compared to the same period two years ago. To put these stats into perspective, take a look at the chart from Google Trends below:
The dramatic spike in searches for the same term just so happens to coincide with the date of season 3’s premiere on 16th February 2025.
This isn't the traditional slow-burning tourism we’re used to seeing. In the age of streaming, the gap between watching and booking can be measured in hours, not months. It’s an absolute gamechanger for the industry.
“I've heard a British Airways exec say that when they see a spike in traffic to a destination, they look at what's peaking on Netflix to explain it”
While The White Lotus currently dominates the set-jetting scene, it’s certainly not the first. New Zealand tourist numbers shot up 40% in the five years after the first Lord of the Rings film. By 2018, 3.6 million people – the equivalent of three-quarters of the population of New Zealand – were flocking to the country every year. The effect was so profound that the country even created a ministerial position dedicated to the franchise.
Demographics
The hotel guests portrayed in The White Lotus all fall into a similar socioeconomic bracket (i.e. rich as f*ck), yet the show skilfully explores a variety of holiday experiences that many viewers can relate to. For example, the multi-generational family vacation (the Di Grassos in Season 2), the solo female traveller (portrayed by the brilliant Jennifer Coolidge in seasons 1 and 2) and the complex dynamics of a ‘girlfriends getaway’ as seen in series 3. There are also honeymooning couples, bickering families, bored teenagers and work colleagues, all of whom create mirrors in which viewers can glimpse reflections of their own holiday experiences.
The downside of The White Lotus Effect
The economic benefits for the featured destinations are undeniable, but as always, there’s a flipside.
Before they even started filming the third series, Koh Samui featured on Fodor’s 2024 No-Go List due to overtourism and serious freshwater shortages. The show’s success has exacerbated the problem and resources are at breaking point. Despite its paradisiacal portrayal on screen, what you don’t see is the 200,000 tonnes of waste left rotting at a landfill a short distance from the tourist sites and luxurious villas.
With similar worrying spikes in overtourism experienced by the already-besieged Sicily, a critical question emerges for governments of potential future White Lotus filming locations: How can they effectively capitalise on the undeniable economic advantages while at the same time protecting fragile ecosystems from the show's overwhelming tourism impact? It’s a balancing act between welcoming the prosperity that follows the series and preserving the authentic character and environmental integrity that made these locations appealing in the first place.
But hang-wringing aside, it really is bloody good telly.
And what if they did end up filming the next series at that Travelodge in Hartlepool? Now that would be the ultimate plot twist.
