In today's content-driven world, social media sites like YouTube and Instagram are influencing our travel plans for better or worse. Beyond social media, pop culture also has a big impact on our travel decisions.
Everyone dreamed of taking a stroll around the city of love after seeing 'Emily in Paris' while 'Bridgerton' left us enamoured by England's grand estates. Similarly, Thailand's Koh Samui is the new travel destination that is witnessing a travel boom after appearing in 'The White Lotus Season 3'.
The third season of the HBO series sparked an 88 per cent increase in internet searches for Koh Samui while hotel reservations on the country's second-largest island increased by 44 per cent, reported the Bangkok Post. According to the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT), The White Lotus' popularity may prevent Koh Samui from having a slow season this year.
Ratchaporn Poolsawadee, vice president of the TCT, said that the new season of the series has significantly boosted interest in travel to Thailand, particularly to Koh Samui.
As per Opodo, an online travel agency, British tourists were the most interested in Thailand with a 53 per cent rise in searches year over year.
Thailand accounted for 9 per cent of the travel searches conducted by British citizens during the first week of The White Lotus Season 3, which aired from February 16-23. While searches for Phuket and Bangkok witnessed increases of 66 per cent and 61 per cent, respectively, Koh Samui saw the largest growth of 88 per cent.
Also Read: A Tour Of Thailand's Breathtaking Locations In 'The White Lotus' Season 3
In terms of travel data, the number of visitors from the US increased by 12 per cent to over 6,25,000 through May, while the arrivals from Europe increased by about 18 per cent to over 3 million in the same time period.
Poolsawadee expects that the series will attract tourists to the island year-round, potentially eliminating the traditional low season.
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