The third season of the HBO series “The White Lotus” has sparked an 88% increase in internet searches for Koh Samui and led to a 44% rise in hotel reservations on Thailand’s second-largest island, according to tourism executives.
Representatives of the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) suggest that Koh Samui might not have a low season this year, thanks to the popularity of the hit series—a satire that captures the interactions between resort employees and their affluent guests over a week.
Ratchaporn Poolsawadee, vice-president of the council, noted on Friday that the third season of The White Lotus has greatly increased interest in traveling to Thailand, especially to Koh Samui.
Internet searches for Koh Samui have surged by 88% following the promotion of the series’s third season. The season premiered on Monday on Max streaming service, with subsequent episodes scheduled to release weekly.
In Season 3, the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui is featured prominently as the fictional White Lotus Resort & Spa. Additional filming took place at Anantara Bophut, Anantara Lawana, and Anantara Mai Khao Phuket resorts.
According to Opodo, an online travel agency founded by European airlines, British travelers have shown a significant uptick in interest in Thailand, with a 53% year-over-year increase in searches.
During the first week of the new season of the show, British netizens ranked third worldwide in searching for Thai destinations, accounting for 9% of the travel searches.
Koh Samui saw the largest increase with an 88% surge, while searches for Phuket and Bangkok by UK users increased by 66% and 61%, respectively.
For this demographic online, accommodation bookings and travel reservations also saw a sharp increase, with those for Koh Samui up 44% and Bangkok up 17%.
Mr. Ratchaporn has mentioned that the TV series has generated considerable excitement in the tourism sector. Agoda data shows that hotel searches for Koh Samui rose by 12% even before the series started.
Searches for accommodations on the island from users in the United States have increased by 65% since January.
Israel, Germany, France, the UK, and the US are now the top five countries searching for Koh Samui on Agoda.
Mr. Ratchaporn referred to the “Lisa effect” — named after Thai K-pop superstar Lalisa “Lisa” Manobal, who appears in the show as a resort staff member — which has not only attracted British, European, and American tourists but also fans from ASEAN countries.
He highlighted that this trend offers a valuable opportunity for hotels and tourism businesses to gather data for their marketing strategies.
Mr. Ratchaporn expects the series to significantly boost tourism on the island throughout the year, potentially eliminating any low season.
The production of The White Lotus Season 3 was supported by Thailand’s Department of Tourism, which assists with international film productions that have significant budgets in the country.
Other notable productions shot last year in Thailand included Jurassic World 4 and the TV series Alien, with the total investment for these projects exceeding 7 billion baht.
Mr. Ratchaporn concluded by noting that this acts as a form of soft power that enhances Thailand’s cultural appeal.
