The White Lotus may be closed for another year, but the so-called “White Lotus Effect” continues to occupy column inches claiming the show as a victory for tourism in Thailand. Indeed, data from Tripadvisor suggests tourists are eyeing up the destinations where the series was filmed; when the third season of the HBO dark comedy began in February, searches for Koh Samui, the Thai island where the show was shot, rose 18 percent YoY. And searches for the Four Seasons resort, which played the role of The White Lotus this season, jumped 213 percent YoY. This would all suggest the Thai tourist board’s investment in the show paid off.
But this being The White Lotus, there is a twist. While interest in the location rose, Tripadvisor notes that there was no discernible spike in actual bookings. And while there could be a longer timeframe for bookings to materialise, Justin Reid, Senior Director of Global Partnerships Solutions at Tripadvisor, argues that the bump in interest could stem more from voyeurism or morbid curiosity than a genuine desire to visit. Despite its luxurious locations, the show is hardly aspirational – in fact it relishes in making fun of unlikeable characters, whose consistently grim fates at The White Lotus make you wonder how the fictional hotel chain is allowed to stay in business.
“It’s not just about how spectacular the destination looks, but how are those characters depicted? Do people want to assimilate themselves to that lifestyle?” says Tripadvisor’s Justin Reid. “And right now, I think there’s a big question mark as to whether The White Lotus is going to have that longtail effect.”
I’ll have what they’re having
To back up that argument, Tripadvisor looks at the TV shows and films that do convert that interest into actual bookings. Harry Potter for example continues to drive tourists to its filming locations, according to the travel company, with the Jacobite Steam Train (AKA the Hogwarts Express) and Glenfinnan Viaduct consistently ranking among the top 10 most popular experiences in Scotland for international travellers. Meanwhile Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings have created entire tourism industries that continue to thrive in Northern Ireland and New Zealand, respectively.
While The White Lotus provides viewers with plenty of water cooler moments, Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings are franchises that fans rewatch every year, and Justin Reid argues that rewatchability inspires revisitability. “Those are ones that have long-standing repeat views, a really loyal audience,” he observes. “And those are the ones where the location sets have high repeat visitor rates.” Reid’s view is that people want to recreate the shows and films that make them feel good – which would explain why Katz’s Deli from When Harry Met Sally‘s infamous diner scene remains such a popular destination.
Then there are cult oddities such as Twin Peaks; hardly a feelgood show, but certainly one where its devotees have positive feelings towards its eccentric characters, and want to visit their Washington haunts as a result. And in recent years Christmas movie The Holiday has developed a cult following who rewatch the film every Christmas, in turn driving more American tourists to the featured village in Surrey.
If we fund it, they might come
So while featuring in TV and film can seem attractive for destinations, particularly during challenging times for the tourism industry, the direction of travel might not be so straightforward.
Look at Baz Luhrmann’s Australia from 2008 (which very few people did). Tourism Australia pumped its entire marketing budget for the year into the Hugh Jackman/Nicole Kidman film, which flopped at the box office, and only really inspired Joe Cornish to make a damning song about it. Crocodile Dundee on the other hand, which from a tourist board perspective might not paint Australia in the most favourable light, continues to be a draw for tourists almost 40 years later.
“The data would suggest it’s not actually the panacea for destinations or hotels to be featured in big-budget movies regardless of the script or storyline,” Reid concludes.
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