Instant White Lotus effect: Agoda sees rise in Koh Samui interest following premiere of popular tv show

SINGAPORE, Feb. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Thailand is enjoying the global spotlight following the season premiere of the popular HBO show 'The White Lotus'. For the island of Koh Samui in particular, the series' main shooting location, Agoda noted a 12% increase in accommodation searches. Interest from the United States grew by 65% compared to last month's average.  

The search increase from the United States sees the market enter Koh Samui's inbound top five based on accommodation searches made on Agoda. With the US replacing Malaysia, the top international markets searching for travel to Koh Samui in the past two days are now all from the West: Israel, Germany, France, United States, and United Kingdom, respectively.

After the previous two seasons of 'The White Lotus' were reported to have a positive effect on the tourism sectors of Hawaii and Sicily, respectively, the Thai government and Thailand's tourism authority TAT successfully convinced the series' producers to shoot the third season in 'the Land of Smiles.' Filming took place in Bangkok, Koh Samui, Koh Pha-Ngan, and Phuket, with a star-studded cast including the likes of Patrick Schwarzenegger and Thailand's BLACKPINK megastar, Lalisa Manobal.

Pierre Honne, Country Director Thailand at Agoda said: "The third season premiere of 'The White Lotus' has been a highly anticipated event in Thailand as it has across the rest of the world. It's thrilling to finally see beloved Thai destinations like Bangkok and Koh Samui as the settings for a global TV sensation. The potential positive effects on Koh Samui and Thailand's tourism are undeniable."

In addition to a wide variety of holiday accommodations across Thailand, Agoda's platform hosts over five million holiday properties globally, more than 130,000 flight routes, and over 300,000 activities. Agoda's wide offerings make it the ideal online travel platform for finding great value deals and helping travelers see the world for less.

SOURCE Agoda