Thailand Tourism Is Surging, Thanks To ‘The White Lotus’ Season 3
The HBO hit has spurred a spike in travel to Thailand.
A taste of the good life as seen in The White Lotus could actually become reality sooner rather than later —or at least, those aspirations are driving luxury travelers to flock to Thailand on the heels of the hotly anticipated season three premiere of the HBO hit.
The draw of an exotic locale and a luxurious backdrop has a real-world ripple effect, as experts note that travel to the Southeast Asian country could surge as much as 20 percent in the months ahead, all thanks to interest sparked by the show’s lush setting. The series debuted to plenty of buzz this week, with a who’s-who of character actors and young upstarts (including Walton Goggins, plus Maxim favorite Patrick Schwarzenegger) arriving in lavish fashion to a fictional White Lotus property in Thailand.
The fictional backdrop for the series actually showcases four real-world properties, each suitably refined (and intriguing), including the Four Seasons Koh Samui, plus locales like the Anantara Bophut Koh Samui, Rosewood Phuket and the Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas. The actor Schwarzenegger noted his journey to Koh Samui took 24 hours of travel time as part of six months of filming the drama-satire series, but the payoff certainly appears worth it, judging by the eye-popping natural beauty of the country.
Travel Weekly reported that some Thailand hotel brands are seeing bookings skyrocket by as much 1,000 percent, and Four Seasons hotel bookings themselves increased by 68 percent year over year, according to the publication.
Publications likeThe Guardian have also reported on ‘the White Lotus effect,” which helped its season 1 backdrop (the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea in Hawaii) ramp up bookings after the show’s debut by more than 400 percent.
The show could prove an inspiration in other ways, as the 31-year-old Schwarzenegger stars in a campaign promoting “Sip intoThe White Lotus” cocktail offerings, which are available for online purchase: A perfect way to enjoy a taste of Thailand at home, if a trip this year isn’t quite in the cards. Ketel One and Tanqueray are even promoting a Thailand destination giveaway for lucky fans, but it appears plenty are turning their Thailand travel dreams into reality, spurred on by the smash-hit HBO drama.
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