The White Lotus takes film tourism’s ‘powerful marketing tool’ to Thailand

The White Lotus has returned, welcoming a fresh batch of addictively awful characters to another lush part of the world where, despite their best efforts, someone always comes home in a body bag.

After stays in Hawaii and Sicily, the third season of Mike White’s Emmy-winning social satire anthology takes place in Thailand on the idyllic island of Koh Samui.

With a population of less than 70,000, the island is the latest picture-perfect backdrop for one of the buzziest shows on television.

Thailand will be hoping to ride the wave of film tourism, where travellers book their next holiday based on the locations they see on screen.

And according to experts, it is a powerful marketing phenomenon.

The White Lotus effect

While the White Lotus is a…