Thailand’s Samui Island is experiencing a new wave of tourism, courtesy of the HBO show The White Lotus. Its third season has captivated audiences with its sun-drenched beaches and lavish resorts.While the show itself is a satire on the ultra-wealthy and class tensions, it has also provided an irresistible glimpse into the world of high-end escapes. Viewers have been inspired to recreate their own “White Lotus” experience by booking stays at the luxurious resorts featured in the series. This surge in travel has been dubbed “The White Lotus effect.”While the pull of iconic film locations has shaped travel itineraries for years, Expedia in 2022 officially termed the travel behaviour “set-jetting”. The term is a play on “jet-setting”, referring to the tendency of wealthy people to travel for leisure. Here is what to know.So, what is ‘The White Lotus effect’?The first season of the black comedy-drama, which premiered in 2021, put the spotlight on the idyll at the real-life Four Seasons resort in Hawaii’s Maui. The CEO of Four Seasons Hotel Ltd, Alejandro Reynal, told Bloomberg that there has been a 425% year-over-year jump in website visits since then. Searches for availability went up by 386%.Similarly, there was a rise in the number of people visiting the San Domenico Palace, another Four Seasons Hotel, on Italy’s Sicily island, where the second season of The White Lotus was filmed. Luxury travel agency Virtuoso reportedly recorded a 424 per cent spike in sales to Sicily after the second instalment premiered in October 2022.Reynal told Bloomberg, “Awareness of White Lotus is very, very high. More than 90 per cent of guests know the affiliation… The show has definitely elevated the brand and helped people have the initial idea that they should come visit.”Thailand braces for tourism surgeEven before the third season of the show began filming, there was a marked surge in interest in Thailand’s second-largest island. The new season of The White Lotus also features Thai rapper Lisa, a member of the internationally successful K-pop group Blackpink.Story continues below this adBookings to the Four Seasons at the Samui island had already jumped 40 per cent before the third season began streaming, Marc Speichert, Chief Commercial Officer at Four Seasons, told The New York Times. He expects it to rise “exponentially” now that the third season is on air.According to The Nation, a Bangkok-based daily, luxury tourism is projected to drive a 10-15 per cent increase in visitor spending and a 40 per cent rise in accommodation prices in Thailand this year.The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has already credited The White Lotus for driving tourism interest in the nation.The Four Seasons has also planned a high-end itinerary around the HBO show. In a 20-day, eight-destination jet journey, the hotel company is offering to take travellers to all the sites featured in the three seasons of The White Lotus and five other luxurious destinations. The TAT has also launched a separate website (thewhitelotus.thailandinsider.com) dedicated to providing travellers with a vacation inspired by the show.Story continues below this adAlso Read | With the success of ‘Chhava’, a look at 5 notable Indian films inspired by historyThis has not been without its share of detractors: Environmentalists have expressed concern over the increased footfall in the eco-sensitive Koh Samui. While the island has seen a steady influx of tourists, the pace of infrastructural development has meant water shortages, a detrimental impact on marine life, and huge amounts of waste on the island.The broader phenomenon of “set-jetting”, where travellers seek out destinations they have seen on screen, dates back to at least the early 2000s. The Lord of the Rings trilogy put New Zealand on the map for legions of fans eager to explore its setting.More recently, the Netflix show Emily in Paris brought a fresh wave of selfie-seekers back to the French capital’s cobblestone streets and chic cafés.Similarly, the Harry Potter franchise has fans flocking to London to visit iconic filming locations like the King’s Cross Station or the Millennium Bridge.Story continues below this adIndia, too, has multiple examples. 3 Idiots was crucial in driving tourism to the serene Pangong Lake in Ladakh. Generations of travellers have dubbed Goa’s Chapora Fort as the Dil Chahta Hai point. Indian films like Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Pathaan put Spain on everyone’s road trip bucket list. The enduring romance of Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge forever etched Switzerland in the hearts of Bollywood fans. The Ranbir Kapoor-Deepika Padukone-starrer Tamasha, meanwhile, introduced Indians to the picturesque French island of Corsica.Expedia in 2022 reported that 39 per cent of surveyed travellers booked trips to destinations they had seen in a show or movie. In 2024, that number rose to 66 per cent.The company’s top predictions for set-jetting trends for 2025 included Koh Samui and South Korea’s Jeju Island, inspired by Squid Game. It also highlighted an increased interest in the Hungarian capital, Budapest, thanks to the Angelina Jolie-starrer Maria.