When the HBO black comedy “The White Lotus” premiered in the summertime of 2021, it took viewers to Hawaii’s sunny Maui. It was a superbly timed pandemic escape stuffed with intrigue, satire, intercourse and bloodshed.
The second season featured a largely new forged — save for Jennifer Coolidge and her character’s quietly sinister husband, performed by Jon Gries — and a brand new location, Taormina, on the rugged southern Italian island of Sicily.
Each seasons put the highlight on so-called “screen tourism” — the rising tendency of vacationers to flock to areas they see in tv reveals and flicks.
U.S. Google searches about visiting Italy spiked almost 20% between October — after the second season premiered — and December of 2022, in keeping with the net analysis firm Semrush.
Journey bookings by Individuals to Italy almost doubled throughout this time too, in keeping with Jim Corridore, insights supervisor on the market analysis agency Similarweb.
Because the superbly shot settings are as a lot a personality because the forged, viewers at the moment are clamoring to seek out out the place the third season shall be filmed.
A not-so-subtle trace
Many viewers caught a not-so-subtle trace within the remaining present, when Daphne (performed by actress Meghann Fahy), toasting at dinner, stated, “Next year, the Maldives.”
However we’re not so positive.
The Maldives was named-dropped close to the top of season two of “The White Lotus,” main followers to invest it might be the subsequent filming location.
Levente Bodo | Second | Getty Pictures
HBO has not introduced the place the subsequent season shall be set.
Nonetheless, in October 2022, present creator Mike White implied it might be Asia, when he informed the leisure information web site Deadline: “I think it’d be fun to maybe go to a whole different continent. You know, we did Europe — and maybe Asia, something crazy like that, that would be fun.”
A second principle
There’s a lot pleasure generated by the present — and its borderline fanatical fanbase — that any assertion made by White is rapidly pounced upon.
That is what occurred when he made a brief video message for author Evan Katz Ross whereas purportedly on a seaside in Thailand final month.
Ross posted the video to his Twitter account, which has some 1.5 million views. Cue the theories that “The White Lotus” is heading to the Southeast Asian nation generally known as “The Land of Smiles.”
The front-runner: Japan
However the sensible cash is on Japan — particularly, the historic former capital of Kyoto.
In season one, Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea performed host to the present. In season two, it was the San Domenico Palace Taormina Four Seasons Hotel.
Like Maui and Taormina, Kyoto additionally has a 4 Seasons lodge. The Zen-like five-star lodge is constructed round an historical pond the place a famed warlord lived throughout the twelfth century.
Japan has three 4 Seasons inns — two in Tokyo and one in Kyoto (pictured).
Supply: 4 Seasons Kyoto
The situation performs into hints that spirituality would be the focus of season three too.
“The first season highlighted money, and then the second season is sex,” White informed Deadline. “I think the third season will be a satirical and funny look at death and eastern religion and spirituality.”
He even let slip that “Jennifer [Coolidge] is my friend and everybody loved her in the first season, and I was like, ‘I can’t go to Italy without Jennifer.’ And maybe that’s still the case. Like, maybe you can’t go to Japan without Jennifer either.”
Certainly, in Japanese tradition the lotus flower is revered for with the ability to emerge stunning and pristine from soiled water, symbolizing enlightenment.
“Enlightened” is the title of another HBO series, created by Mike White, which ran for 2 seasons and starred Laura Dern.
We requested 4 Seasons Kyoto whether or not plans to shoot there are certainly afoot — however representatives declined to remark.
If Kyoto is certainly the placement, the lodge and metropolis can anticipate a considerable uptick to its world profile as soon as the present airs.
The affect of ‘display tourism’
For the premiere and finale of each seasons of “The White Lotus,” the 4 Seasons inns in Maui and Taormina skilled a few of their highest search site visitors ever, stated Marc Speichert, the chief business officer at 4 Seasons Accommodations and Resorts.
“In Maui, for example, during the first season, we experienced a 425% year-over-year increase in website visits and a 386% increase in availability checks,” he stated.
San Domenico Palace Taormina, which has the enduring steep slopes of smoldering Mt. Etna as its backdrop, is closed for the season till mid-March, however then absolutely booked till Could — so hopes of skipping down the corridors like Mia and Lucia should wait.
Two characters spent the night time in Villa Tasca within the second season of “The White Lotus.” To do the identical, put together to pay round $6,000 per night time.
Camillo Balossini | Mondadori Portfolio | Getty Pictures
However different filming areas in Sicily have additionally grow to be in style, reminiscent of Villa Tasca within the Sicilian capital metropolis of Palermo.
The Sixteenth-century property, which has 4 bedrooms and 20 acres of gardens, is listed on Airbnb for round $6,000 per night time.
Past “The White Lotus,” the broader pattern of touring to go to iconic TV and film areas continues to develop.
Netflix reveals like “Bridgerton” and “Emily in Paris” are stated to have elevated journey curiosity to Tub, England (pictured) and France, respectively.
Bento Fotography | Second | Getty Pictures
Jon Gieselman, president of Expedia Manufacturers, stated, “We’re seeing a surge in trips to culture capitals and TV shows playing a role in tourism.”
It’s extremely a lot a world phenomenon too. When polled, two-thirds of world vacationers have thought of — and almost 40% have booked — journeys to locations after seeing them in movies or tv, in keeping with an Expedia report printed in November 2022.
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