The new hotspots for series fans: Where The White Lotus beckons!

The new hotspots for series fans: Where The White Lotus beckons!

The fascination for film and series filming locations is gaining momentum. The HBO series “The White Lotus” in particular has caused a real boom in tourism in recent years. The first two seasons resulted in a significant increase in visitor numbers to popular destinations such as Hawaii and Sicily. According to the findings of Bridget Searches for these regions have increased by over 300 percent, underscoring the popularity of this travel split, also known as set jetting.

Set jetting, in which vacationers travel specifically to locations known from their favorite series and films, is more than just a trend. Studies suggest that over half of travelers are inspired by this media content, like Gala reported. Arrivals in these tourism regions are showing noticeable changes, with searches for “flights to Thailand” up 32 percent and “Koh Samui” up 170 percent at the start of the third season of “The White Lotus.”

New travel destinations on trend

The third season of “The White Lotus” will be filmed in Thailand, specifically on Koh Samui. Thapanee Kiatphaibool, head of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, expects the series to further increase the number of visitors to the country. 'We are optimistic,' she explains, 'that the new season will attract many travelers.'

But it's not just the filming of "The White Lotus" that draws people in droves. Other films and series also offer exciting travel destinations to explore. High on the list are:

• „Jurassic World: Die Wiedergeburt“ in Thailand (u.a. Phuket)
• „Paddington in Peru“ mit Szenen aus Machu Picchu und Lima
• „The Last of Us“ (Staffel 2) in British Columbia, Kanada
• „Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning“ in Großbritannien, Südafrika und Norwegen
• „Wednesday“ (Staffel 2) in Irland
• „Squid Game“ (Staffel 3) in Seoul, Südkorea
• „Wicked: For Good“ im White Desert National Park, Ägypten
• „Yellowstone“ und die zweite Staffel von „1923“ in Texas

Popularity of filming locations in Europe and beyond

For example, the hit “Emily in Paris” caused searches for Paris to increase by over 200 percent after each season. The same applies to the British series “Ted Lasso,” which made Richmond 160 percent more popular when its second season aired. Norway also benefited from the last season of “Succession”.

The destinations for 2024 are set, and the list of popular filming locations is diverse. Whether it's Thailand for The White Lotus, Romania for Wednesday or Malta for Gladiator 2, the possibilities seem endless. Even South Korea and the Florida Keys are on the list of interesting destinations related to upcoming film projects.

Overall, it should be noted that the influence of media on travel trends should not be underestimated. More and more people are being inspired by the backdrops of their favorite series and films to discover new, exciting places and experience the magic of the screen in the real world.