The next 'White Lotus' is expected to be filmed in one of these locations in Asia

When the HBO achromatic drama "The White Lotus" premiered successful the summertime of 2021, it took viewers to Hawaii's sunny Maui. It was a perfectly timed pandemic flight afloat of intrigue, satire, enactment and bloodshed.

The 2nd play featured a mostly caller formed — prevention for Jennifer Coolidge and her character's softly sinister husband, played by Jon Gries — and a caller location, Taormina, connected the rugged confederate Italian land of Sicily. 

Both seasons enactment the spotlight connected alleged "screen tourism" — the increasing inclination of travelers to flock to locations they spot successful tv shows and movies.

U.S. Google searches astir visiting Italy spiked astir 20% betwixt October — aft the 2nd play premiered — and December of 2022, according to the online probe institution Semrush.

Travel bookings by Americans to Italy astir doubled during this clip too, according to Jim Corridore, insights manager astatine the marketplace probe steadfast Similarweb.

Since the beautifully changeable settings are arsenic overmuch a quality arsenic the cast, viewers are present clamoring to find retired wherever the 3rd play volition beryllium filmed.

Many viewers caught a not-so-subtle hint successful the last show, erstwhile Daphne (played by histrion Meghann Fahy), toasting astatine dinner, said, "Next year, the Maldives."

But we're not truthful sure.

HBO has not announced wherever the adjacent play volition beryllium set.

However, successful October 2022, amusement creator Mike White implied it could beryllium Asia, erstwhile helium told the amusement quality website Deadline: "I deliberation it'd beryllium amusive to possibly spell to a full antithetic continent. You know, we did Europe — and possibly Asia, thing brainsick similar that, that would beryllium fun."

There's truthful overmuch excitement generated by the amusement — and its borderline fanatical fanbase — that immoderate connection made by White is rapidly pounced upon.

That's what happened erstwhile helium made a little video message for writer Evan Katz Ross portion purportedly connected a formation successful Thailand past month.

Ross posted the video to his Twitter account, which has immoderate 1.5 cardinal views. Cue the theories that "The White Lotus" is heading to the Southeast Asian federation known arsenic "The Land of Smiles."

But the astute wealth is connected Japan — specifically, the humanities erstwhile superior of Kyoto.

In play one, Four Seasons Resort Maui astatine Wailea played big to the show. In play two, it was the San Domenico Palace Taormina Four Seasons Hotel.

Like Maui and Taormina, Kyoto besides has a Four Seasons hotel. The Zen-like five-star edifice is built astir an past pond wherever a famed warlord lived during the 12th century.

The determination plays into hints that spirituality volition beryllium the absorption of play 3 too.

"The archetypal play highlighted money, and past the 2nd play is sex," White told Deadline. "I deliberation the 3rd play volition beryllium a satirical and comic look astatine decease and eastbound religion and spirituality."

He adjacent fto gaffe that "Jennifer [Coolidge] is my person and everybody loved her successful the archetypal season, and I was like, 'I can't spell to Italy without Jennifer.' And possibly that's inactive the case. Like, possibly you can't spell to Japan without Jennifer either."

Indeed, successful Japanese civilization the lotus angiosperm is revered for being capable to look beauteous and pristine from soiled water, symbolizing enlightenment. 

"Enlightened" is the sanction of another HBO series, created by Mike White, which ran for 2 seasons and starred Laura Dern.

We asked Four Seasons Kyoto whether plans to sprout determination are so afoot — but representatives declined to comment.

If Kyoto is so the location, the edifice and metropolis tin expect a important uptick to its planetary illustration erstwhile the amusement airs.

For the premiere and finale of some seasons of "The White Lotus," the Four Seasons hotels successful Maui and Taormina experienced immoderate of their highest hunt postulation ever, said Marc Speichert, the main commercialized serviceman astatine Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.

"In Maui, for example, during the archetypal season, we experienced a 425% year-over-year summation successful website visits and a 386% summation successful availability checks," helium said.

San Domenico Palace Taormina, which has the iconic steep slopes of smoldering Mt. Etna arsenic its backdrop, is closed for the play until mid-March, but past afloat booked until May — truthful hopes of skipping down the corridors similar Mia and Lucia volition person to wait.

But different filming locations successful Sicily person besides go popular, specified arsenic Villa Tasca successful the Sicilian superior metropolis of Palermo.

The 16th-century estate, which has 4 bedrooms and 20 acres of gardens, is listed connected Airbnb for astir $6,000 per night.

Beyond "The White Lotus," the broader inclination of traveling to sojourn iconic TV and movie locations continues to grow.

Jon Gieselman, president of Expedia Brands, said, "We're seeing a surge successful trips to civilization capitals and TV shows playing a relation successful tourism."

It's precise overmuch a planetary improvement too. When polled, two-thirds of planetary travelers person considered — and astir 40% person booked — trips to destinations aft seeing them successful films oregon television, according to an Expedia study published successful November 2022.