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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 “display tourism” — the rising tendency of vacationers to flock to places they see in tv reveals and films.
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 web 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.
For the reason that fantastically shot settings are as a lot a personality because the forged, viewers are actually clamoring to seek out out the place the third season can be filmed.
A not-so-subtle trace
Many viewers caught a not-so-subtle trace within the closing present, when Daphne (performed by actress Meghann Fahy), toasting at dinner, stated, “Subsequent yr, 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 will be the following filming location.
Levente Bodo | Second | Getty Photographs
HBO has not introduced the place the following season can be set.
Nonetheless, in October 2022, present creator Mike White implied it may very well be Asia, when he informed the leisure information web site Deadline: “I feel it might be enjoyable to perhaps go to a complete completely different continent. , we did Europe — and perhaps Asia, one thing loopy like that, that may be enjoyable.”
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 often 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 through the twelfth century.
Japan has three 4 Seasons motels — 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 primary season highlighted cash, after which the second season is intercourse,” White informed Deadline. “I feel the third season can be a satirical and humorous take a look at dying and japanese faith and spirituality.”
He even let slip that “Jennifer [Coolidge] is my buddy and everyone cherished her within the first season, and I used to be like, ‘I am unable to go to Italy with out Jennifer.’ And perhaps that is nonetheless the case. Like, perhaps you’ll be able to’t go to Japan with out Jennifer both.”
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 identify 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 situation, the lodge and metropolis can anticipate a considerable uptick to its world profile as soon as the present airs.
The impression of ‘display tourism’
For the premiere and finale of each seasons of “The White Lotus,” the 4 Seasons motels in Maui and Taormina skilled a few of their highest search visitors ever, stated Marc Speichert, the chief business officer at 4 Seasons Accommodations and Resorts.
“In Maui, for instance, through the first season, we skilled a 425% year-over-year enhance in web site visits and a 386% enhance 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 totally 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 Photographs
However different filming places in Sicily have additionally grow to be well-liked, similar to 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 development of touring to go to iconic TV and film places 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 Photographs
Jon Gieselman, president of Expedia Manufacturers, stated, “We’re seeing a surge in journeys to tradition capitals and TV reveals enjoying a task in tourism.”
It’s totally a lot a worldwide phenomenon too. When polled, two-thirds of worldwide vacationers have thought-about — 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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