"The White Lotus", a hit American television series, is famous for portraying the wealthy guests and staff at the luxury resort called White Lotus. Under the perfect cover of the guests are dark secrets that are cleverly hidden, creating a special appeal for the film.
After the first two seasons were set in the glamorous Western locations of Maui (Hawaii, USA) and Sicily (Italy), the third season of "The White Lotus" has shifted to Asia, with Thailand as the chosen destination. This change of setting has raised great expectations that the show will create a positive effect, strongly promoting the tourism industry of the Golden Temple country, similar to what happened in Hawaii and Sicily, which witnessed an impressive tourism growth of up to 300% after appearing in this series.
The White Lotus is an American television series about the guests and staff at the White Lotus resort.
The guests at the resort are all wealthy and have perfect appearances, but they all hide something dark.
However, according to film critic Daniel Fienberg, although the producers have made certain efforts to invite local people to participate in the acting, their role in the story still seems quite vague. In particular, Fienberg expressed regret that the role of Mook, a resort employee played by Lalisa Manobal (Lisa Blackpink), appeared too little. He said that the fame and global appeal of the member of the famous girl group BlackPink was not effectively exploited in the film.
American newspaper commented that "The White Lotus" did not know how to take advantage of Lisa's charm, making her appear faintly in the film.
In his review, Fienberg bluntly pointed out: “The lack of depth in Thai characters reduces the value of the actors, especially Lisa. She has a strong charisma but it is not expressed through the character."
The image of the BlackPink group's muse in the movie
In fact, hotels in the southern region, which were expected to benefit greatly from the film's impact, say they have yet to see any significant positive changes in international arrivals. Bill Barnett, CEO of Phuket-based hospitality consultancy C9 Hotelworks, said that despite the widespread attention "The White Lotus" has garnered, the two popular tourist destinations of Phuket and Samui have yet to show signs of a strong tourism recovery as expected.
The fact that Thailand's tourism industry has not improved even though it is summer
According to Mr. Barnett’s analysis, the number of international visitors to Phuket this year could even be lower than last year. One of the main reasons is the weakening of the Chinese tourist market. There are three main factors that make Chinese tourists more hesitant to choose Thailand as a destination: the Beijing government’s domestic tourism stimulus policy, security concerns in Thailand and domestic economic difficulties, including the impact of high US tariffs on Chinese goods.
Despite being expected to boost Thailand's tourism industry, The White Lotus 3 series has yet to bring positive signals to hotels in the South such as Phuket and Samui, according to Bangkok Post.
Statistics from Airports of Thailand Plc for the period from April 1 to 21 (including Songkran) show that Phuket received just over 28,700 direct Chinese arrivals. Although this number has increased by 25% compared to the same period in 2019, it has not yet met expectations of a strong recovery from the effects of the pandemic.
In addition to the Chinese market, Mr. Barnett also commented that the global economy is becoming more unstable than last year, largely due to increased geopolitical tensions in many regions of the world. This leads to many travelers tending to tighten their spending and choose to save instead of traveling far, or just prioritize destinations closer.
Many figures show that the number of tourists has not yet had any expected surge.
However, there are still optimistic signs from some businesses in the industry. Mr. Paitoon Wongsasutthikul, Chief Investment Officer of Asset World Corp (AWC), said that hotels in Phuket now have a more diverse customer base and are no longer as dependent on the Chinese market as before. Evidence is that during the long holiday in early May, the Phuket Marriott Resort & Spa Nai Yang Beach managed by AWC reached a room occupancy rate of more than 80%, with most guests coming from Russia, Singapore and Hong Kong.
AWC CFO Chayanon Horpattanaporn shared the same view, predicting that average room rates at Phuket and other AWC hotels across Thailand will continue to increase year-on-year, even during the low season. However, he also noted that total guest stays may decline due to fewer international arrivals.
It can be seen that although the third season of "The White Lotus" has chosen Thailand as the setting, the expectation of a strong tourism boost thanks to the effect of the movie and the appearance of Lisa Blackpink has not yet become a clear reality. The Thai tourism industry is facing many complex challenges, from changes in the traditional tourist market to global economic instability, requiring diverse and flexible solutions to maintain and develop in the new context.
