Where is White Lotus filmed? Koh Samui, and searches and prices are up

Social media conversations about traveling in Thailand rose 60% after the premiere of the third season of “The White Lotus” on Feb. 16.

The data measured social media chatter during the three days before and after the show’s airing, according to social media analytics company Sprout Social.

The Emmy-winning HBO series is expected to draw a surge in travel interest to the Thai island of Koh Samui, the latest setting of the show — as it did to Maui, Hawaii, and Sicily, Italy, in seasons one and two, respectively.

The show’s ability to draw tourism interest to its filming locations is so influential that it’s known as the “White Lotus effect.”

“The White Lotus” was mentioned on social media nearly 1,385,000 times by nearly 500,000 unique authors from Feb. 16-26, according to Sprout Social. Most conversations came from within Thailand (86,016), followed by the United States (45,728) and Brazil (18,613), the company told CNBC Travel.

The conversations garnered more than 8.4 million engagements — mostly from likes, comments and shares — of which 85% were positive, it said. However, for the posts that specifically mention Thailand, sentiment rose to 99%, according to Sprout Social.

This is important because the reach of these posts is so vast, said Rachael Goulet, the company’s director of social media.

“There were more than 775 million instances where conversations mentioning both ‘The White Lotus’ and Thailand appeared on users’ feeds,” said Goulet. “For context, the U.S. population is just over 340 million, so at more than 2x that number, 775 million potential impressions don’t just indicate a strong trend on social media; it indicates a broader cultural moment.”

The data is based on social media conversations across X, YouTube, Reddit, and Tumblr, Sprout Social said.

“People aren’t just talking about the show as something to watch; they’re talking about it as a reason to travel to Thailand,” said Goulet.

Moreover, this season has something prior ones didn’t have — the power of a pop star.

The cast includes Lalisa Manobal — more commonly known as Lisa from the K-pop group Blackpink. Manobal, who has around 105 million followers on Instagram, made her acting debut as “Mook” in the latest season. 

But it’s not all talk — travel searches have jumped, in many instances, months before the third season started.

Search interest for Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, the show’s main filming location, surged 370% in Hong Kong in January year on year, according to Expedia.

In the two weeks after the third season’s premiere, searches for trips to Koh Samui jumped 115% in Singapore, 95% in the United States, and 70% in Australia, Expedia’s data showed.

Booking are up too. Since the season premiere, Trip.com has seen a year-on-year growth of nearly 30% in flight and hotel bookings to Koh Samui, led by Germany, the United Kingdom and France.

The “White Lotus effect” may be boosting interest to other parts of Thailand too.

Short-term rental bookings in Thailand surged nearly 500% in the two days following the season three premiere, compared with the same period from 2024, according to the property management platform Guesty, whose software powers reservations on Airbnb and Booking.com, among others.  

Annual nightly rates for short-term home rentals rose too — some 28% from February of 2024, according to Guesty.

Average daily rates at hotels climbed 10% in the two weeks before and the season premiere, according to Expedia. That is on top of rising rates, which started to climb during the post-pandemic travel surge.

“The White Lotus” may even be boosting restaurant reservations beyond Thailand’s shores. Bookings at Thai restaurants in the United States increased 16% in the week following the show’s premiere, according to the reservation service OpenTable.

Dr. Guy Llewellyn, assistant professor at EHL Hospitality Business School, said the “White Lotus effect” demonstrates the power that pop culture has on travel trends, especially on younger travelers who use social media for travel inspiration.

However, he said past instances of screen tourism serve as cautionary tales. 

“The 2000 film ‘The Beach’ led to a massive influx of tourists to Maya Bay, causing severe environmental damage,” he told CNBC Travel, referring to the bay off Thailand’s Phi Phi Island. “While increased tourism brings economic benefits, an unmanaged surge can lead to overtourism, rising costs for locals, and environmental degradation.” 

Llewellyn said Thailand should anticipate these challenges and promote lesser-known destinations and off-peak travel, while considering visitor permits for fragile areas. 

“Ultimately, the ‘White Lotus Effect’ presents an opportunity for Thailand to reshape its tourism narrative,” he said.