‘The White Lotus’ Halo Effect Blooms for Tourism and Local Economies

“The White Lotus” will welcome a new group of guests to a new resort in Thailand when it returns to HBO and Max on Sunday, but the series has transported viewers in real life as its luxurious locales have become vacation hot spots beyond the TV screen.

Since its premiere in 2021, Mike White’s award-winning anthology series has delighted and shocked viewers with its pointed take on money, sex and power, set against exotic backdrops like southern Italy, Hawaii — and now Thailand.

While the show has been a boon for Warner Bros. Discovery, driving ratings, revenue and corporate partnerships, the so-called “White Lotus” effect has also provided a boost to the local economies of the sun-drenched places where the show films.

Production of the first two seasons of “White Lotus” contributed $12.9 million and over $40 million, respectively, in direct spending to the local economies of Maui, Hawaii and Sicily, Italy, according to HBO, while Season 3 has contributed a collective $36.9 million to the economies of Koh Samui, Phuket and Bangkok, Thailand.

Parrot Analytics’ Streaming Economics estimates the show’s first two seasons generated $109.05 million for Max alone between the third quarters of 2021 and 2024, with the majority of its value coming from subscriber retention.  

The series has also been a driving force behind what’s known as the “set-jetting” phenomenon, inspiring tourists to visit its various filming locations, prompting 300% year over year surges in travel demand to Sicily and Hawaii in the first 90 days following each season’s premiere, according to Expedia.

“I would not be at all surprised if we saw that same surge for Thailand,” Expedia travel expert Melanie Fish told TheWrap.

Tourism, film and TV productions bloom in Thailand

Like in previous seasons, the new season of “The White Lotus” follows a group of guests at a White Lotus resort over the course of one week, this time in Thailand. The production saw a cadre of actors including Walton Goggins, Carrie Coon, Leslie Bibb, Parker Posey and Natasha Rothwell set up shop in the Southeast Asian country for six months.

In 2024, Thailand saw over 35 million international tourists visit the country, generating over 1.8 trillion Baht ($53 million) in tourism revenue, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) — a 26.3% increase from 2023 and nearing pre-pandemic levels of 39.9 million international tourists.

TAT governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool expects a “significant boost” in tourism from “The White Lotus” Season 3, adding that the spotlight on Koh Samui, Phuket and Bangkok will “solidify its position as a top travel destination” and give the show’s global audience a “deeper appreciation for Thai culture and traditions.” The agency is forecasting between 36 and 39 million international visitors in 2025, generating between 1.98 trillion and 2.23 trillion Baht ($58.1 million to $65.4 million) in tourism revenue.

“We are confident in ‘The White Lotus’ team’s creative vision to showcase all that the Kingdom offers,” Kiatphaibool told TheWrap. “We believe the series will ultimately present Thailand in a positive light, attracting viewers worldwide to experience our country’s unique charm and hospitality.” 

According to Expedia’s 2025 Unpacked study of 25,000 respondents across 19 countries, two-thirds of travelers said movies, streaming services and TV shows have influenced their travel choices, with 36% saying TV and films were more influential on their travel plans than they were last year.

When Thailand was revealed as the filming location for “The White Lotus” Season 3 in early 2024, traveler interest spiked during March and April of that year, with a 65% increase in flight searches for Chiang Mai, 45% increase for Phuket and 30% increase for Koh Samui, according to Fish. Once the first teaser trailer was released in December, Koh Samui searches jumped by 40% on Hotels.com. 

The Four Seasons — the hotel chain that’s used as a production hub for the fictional White Lotus chain in the show — has seen a “substantial surge” in interest and bookings at its properties during and after the airing of the first two seasons of “The White Lotus,” the hotel chain’s executive vice president and chief commercial officer Marc Speichert told TheWrap.

He noted that the Four Seasons in Maui saw a 425% year over year increase in website visits and a 386% increase in availability checks during the airing of Season 1. The hotel chain is “already seeing a similar positive response for Thailand as excitement builds around Season 3,” he added.

“Not everyone can afford or even find availability at the hotels and resorts where the show is actually set, but it doesn’t matter,” Fish said. “People are searching for hotels and trips to those general areas, even if they’re not staying at the Four Seasons where the show is filmed.”

In addition to “The White Lotus,” notable film and TV projects that have fueled the set-jetting trend include “Yellowstone,” “Emily in Paris,” “The Real Housewives of Dubai,” “The Traitors,” “Bridgerton,” “Harry Potter,” “Downton Abbey,” “Paddington in Peru,” “Ted Lasso,” “And Just Like That,” “Squid Game” and “Succession.”

Beyond boosting tourism, Kiatphaibool hopes the increased visibility from “The White Lotus” will help Thailand attract major film and television productions and their associated economic benefits. The United States accounted for 40 of the 491 foreign productions that shot in Thailand in 2024, contributing 1.03 billion Baht ($30.2 million) of the overall 5.8 billion Baht ($171.2 million) in spending for the Thai film industry last year, TAT said. And “The White Lotus” isn’t the only Thai-shot franchise coming out in 2024 — the upcoming film “Jurassic World Rebirth” was also partially shot in Thailand.

Upon learning that “The White Lotus” team was exploring filming locations in Asia for Season 3, Kaitphaibool said TAT immediately reached out to HBO, extending assistance with potential hotel partners, airline sponsorships and other support in an effort to entice the production to come film in Thailand. 

Thailand offers a cash rebate of up to 20% on qualifying production expenditures, including 15% for productions that spend at least 50 million Baht ($1.47 million), 20% for those who spend between 100–150 million Baht ($2.9 million to $4.4 million) and 25% for expenditures exceeding 150 million Baht. 

Additionally, productions that promote Thai tourism, “soft power” and a positive image of Thailand, or who hire Thai nationals in key creative crew positions, can earn rebates of 5%. Filming in designated emerging locations or spending on post-production services within Thailand can earn rebates of 3%, with total rebates capped at a maximum of 30% under the program. 

The “White Lotus” effect

Season 1 of “The White Lotus,” which filmed for 51 days during the peak of the COVID pandemic in Maui, spent $12.9 million on hiring 264 local cast and crew members who earned more than $3.8 million in wages.

It also spent over $7 million to support 494 local businesses and government agencies, including $3.9 million spent on transportation, rentals and accommodations, $1.8 million on location and permit fees, and $1.7 million spent on catering and other food items, according to HBO.

Season 2, which filmed for 100 days in Sicily, created 2,037 local jobs for cast and crew members who earned over $18.7 million in wages.

It also generated $21.4 million for the local economy, including $9.5 million on location and permit fees, $4.5 million on hotels and accommodations, $1.9 million on local food and catering for cast and crew, $1.1 million on lumber and construction and $1 million on car and truck rentals.

While it’s too early to quantify “The White Lotus” Season 3’s total economic impact on Thailand, the latest installment spent $9.8 million on local payroll over the course of its 129-day shoot in Koh Samui, Phuket and Bangkok, with the production hiring nearly 1,000 cast, crew and extras.

It also spent $27.1 million with local vendors, including $10.9 million on rental fees for filming locations, $4.8 million on hotel accommodations for cast and crew, $1.3 million on catering and food purchases and $1.1 million on props and set dressing.

In addition to the Four Seasons in Koh Samui, filming locations for Season 3 included Anantara Lawana Koh Samui Resort’s The Singing Bird Lounge, Anantara Mai Khao Phuket, Bangkok’s Acts Studio, Ko Lawa Yai and Ya Nui Beach in Phuket, and Buddhist monastery Wat Pu Khao Thong. 

“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the people of Thailand and our incredible local cast and crew for their unwavering support and dedication in making the third season of ‘The White Lotus’ an extraordinary and successful experience,” HBO production SVP Scott Schaeffer said in a statement. 

WBD’s “White Lotus”-inspired corporate partnerships

In addition to serving as filming locations, Warner Bros. Discovery has expanded its partnership with the Four Seasons by collaborating on exclusive guest experiences and bookable offerings tied to Season 3, such as early screenings and other “White Lotus”-inspired wellness and food and beverage experiences.

“The marketing partnership with HBO/Max represents an exciting milestone, embracing a cultural phenomenon that celebrates extraordinary storytelling and the universal passion for travel,” Speichert said. “It also underscores the growing connection between travel and pop culture — two worlds that naturally complement each other, as travel fuels creativity and sparks curiosity on a global scale.”

WBD has also secured sponsorships with American Express, Diageo, Google Pixel, BMW North America and Abercrombie for Season 3. Content will include an eight-part miniseries with “The White Lotus” official podcast host Evan Ross Katz and actor Nicholas Duvernay; a collaboration with Food Network’s Jeff Mauro featuring Tanqueray Gin and Ketel One Vodka; and behind-the-scenes access through character vignettes available across Max, social channels and the Extras tab of “The White Lotus” show page.

Additionally, WBD is teaming up with brands and retailers including Bloomingdale’s, Banana Republic, Kiehls, Super Goop, Compartes, Brunch and CB2 on a series of new collections, including resort-inspired fashions, accessories, home decor and food and beverages to help fans immerse themselves even further. 

“With the much-anticipated return of Season 3 and the recent renewal for Season 4, there’s no better time to introduce a global product line spanning all categories that embodies the beauty, exotic locales and intrigue of the series,” WBD global consumer products head Robert Oberschelp said in a statement. “We worked across the company to curate partners who bring exclusive offerings that are more than just merchandise. They give fans a unique opportunity to express their passion and escape to the luxurious world of ‘The White Lotus.’”

While the setting of Season 4 has not yet been revealed, vacation spots around the globe are no doubt eager to be picked so they, too, can experience “The White Lotus” bump.

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