Thailand travel boom expected as White Lotus fever grips Aussie viewers

HBO series The White Lotus has gripped Australian viewers who are enthralled by the dramatised lives of guests and employees at some of the world's most luxurious resorts.

Season 3 of the black-comedy drama series drops in February and Australians are expected to flock to the filming locations at Koh Samui, Bangkok and Phuket to experience a piece of the action for themselves.

Much of the season was filmed at The Four Seasons Resort at Koh Samui and this is expected to be a hot ticket stay this year.

Expedia travel expert Sarah King said it's part of a larger trend Expedia identified called "set-jetting".

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"This year, two-thirds of travellers say movies, streaming services and TV shows have influenced their travel choices, with a 16 per cent increase year-on-year, this trend shows no signs of slowing in 2025," Ms King said.

Expedia anticipates season 3 of The White Lotus will be one of the top set-jetting shows of 2025, with Aussie traveller interest rising to 40 per cent for Koh Samui, 30 per cent for Phuket, and 20 per cent for Bangkok since the location of the new season was announced in January 2024.

Onboard Luxury's luxury travel manager Alana Seale said The White Lotus is a prime example of how TV shows can drive travel choices.

"Sicily's popularity exploded after it was featured [in season 2], proving the power of 'set-jetting'. Almost every second booking I handled included Sicily, even for people who may not have considered it before," she said.

"Now that many travellers have ticked Europe off their lists, I expect to see a shift towards 'closer-to-home' destinations, like Thailand. With The White Lotus showcasing the beauty of Koh Samui, I expect this to become a hot spot once the show airs."

Intrepid Travel said they had noticed bookings surging as a result of the show, with bookings for Season 2 film location Sicily increasing 60 per cent from 2022 to 2023 after it was aired.

Thailand bookings for the group tour company increased by 33 per cent from 2023 to 2024. In 2025, Thailand has already received the same amount of bookings as all of 2023, Intrepid said.

Similarly, Club Med said it has reported a 60 per cent increase in Aussies searching for its Phuket resort in January 2025, compared to December 2024.

Australian booking data shows bookings for 2025 have risen by 16 per cent year-over-year, following the announcement that the new season is set in Thailand.