Season 3 of the hit HBO show White lotus It premiered this week and opened in the dark jungle branches. The camera tracked upwards before landing on the monkey and sat down carefully. This shot establishes nature as a major theme that continues as we see guests arrive this season, cascaded through lush Thai hillsides and disperses it into villas, each of which seems to have an island and sea I was able to enjoy the enchanting views of the area.
In real life, the resort is four seasons of the Samui River, and thanks to both its visual appeal and the popularity of the show, Thailand expects to promote large-scale tourism.
The country has previously experienced the power to appear on screens around the world. At the dawn of the new millennium, a movie Beach His post starring Leonardo DiCaprioTitanic Peak and setting itself – Maya Bay in another world, an almost enclosed slice of the Andaman Sea on the island of Phi Phi Lee, an uninhabited island within a national park. It was previously a popular snorkeling spot. Beachhowever, the film became intriguing and fans began to flock to Maya Bay. 5,000 tourists and 200 boats Every day, it overwhelms small beaches and their marine ecosystems.
The country went along and got caught up in a too common trap that relied on the very revenue from tourism that put its infrastructure and environment at risk. Meanwhile, garbage destroyed the beach, boat anchors and pollution killed the reefs, and wildlife disappeared.
Now, 25 years from now, almost the next day Beach Coming in, Thailand holds the next Hollywood-induced frenzy. I hope that this time they will be better prepared.
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meanwhile Beach It portrays a paradise seeker seeking a paradise that rejects traditional markers of vacation by starting his own commune on a secret beach White lotus Introducing those very markers and then ramp them. Every season, we’ll show you the new set of wealthy and grievances and locals who make the holidays run smoothly. Both productions share a sense of paradise. In fact, they skewered the very concept of beaches as paradise. However, in a marketing budget you can’t buy the kind of promotion they offer.
“The appearance in White Lotus Season 3 will allow us to reach a truly global audience,” said Chompu Marusachot, New York Director of Thailand’s Tourism Board. “We strive to strengthen and expand our tourism efforts and infrastructure to welcome even more visitors in the future.”
However, as Maya Bay has shown, more tourists could mean more problems. In 2018, the Thai government finally saw enough of its own; Close the location Until further notice. Maya Bay reopened in 2022 A strict system is in place To minimize future damages. The boat is no longer allowed to enter the bay and instead docks to piers elsewhere on the island. Up to 4,125 new visitors arriving at the designated time slot will walk along the new boardwalk to reach the bay. There, they cannot swim or bring non-leaf-safe sunscreen. Maya Bay continues to approach visitors for two months each year for rehabilitation.
In contrast, koh samui was a home to the bustling tourism industry long ago White lotus. Today there are 630 hotels and resorts. One of them, Four Seasons, opened in 2007 and occupies a relatively mild coastline compared to other parts of the island.
Both locations address the challenges of climate change. Thailand suffered last year Records high sea temperatureswhich led to the death of the mass coral bleaching events and the death of the sea grass, which led to the mass death of Dagon and other marine life. Storms and floods are also devastating. In 2024, Thailand experienced it The worst flood in decadesaffects more than 500,000 households.
Koh Samui is a case study of how tourism can add to these issues. “Since tourism has rapidly developed without proper infrastructure planning and environmental management, Samui has faced serious problems in terms of waste management and water resources,” said Kannapa, professor at Tamasat University in Thailand. Pomponrat states.
The pipeline that brings water from the mainline to Samui has proven insufficient as tourism grows; Water shortage on the island. From the deposits Resort and hotel construction It damaged coral reefs and other marine life. And garbage often accumulates on the edges of roads and at the ocean itself. Thailand is one of the world’s largest contributors to marine plastic pollution; Tourism has been identified Samui is the main cause of the Gulf of Thailand problem.
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Nevertheless, the Thai government works hard to plead for the juggernaut of creator Mike White’s show, ultimately providing generous tax cuts and other incentives $4.4 million shaved From production costs White lotus‘3rd season. Payoff? Almost guaranteed for more tourism income. After Season 2 aired in 2022, Four Seasons’ San Domenico Palace, Taormina, stood for the White Lotus Resort. Sold out in all 2023on a trip Sicily’s interest has been spiked. Four Seasons Maui, which is set for Season 1, is Website traffic has increased by 425% After the show aired. Koh Samui’s Four Seasons representative said the hotel has already experienced a surge in searches and bookings since it was announced as the “White Lotus” in season 3.
Plans are underway to launch as the country is trying to increase tourism Construction of a cruise ship terminal For Koh Samui in 2029. Airport expansion It is scheduled to start this year. The development of new hotels continues with APACE. A second water line from the mainland is being constructed.
At the same time, the government has taken steps to mitigate the environmental impact over the past decade or so. 2015 The Marine and Coastal Resource Management Act is being used To prohibit wastewater from being discharged into the ocean or harmful activities such as “sea walks,” tourists take a walk through the ocean floor connected to oxygen-fed helmets. National Roadmap for Plastic Waste Management We aim to reduce plastic use and increase recycling practices. Back in 2014, the government launched a campaign to “Save Water and Safe Safe” to promote sustainable water use on the island.
Experts say these efforts are sometimes toothless. “The Thai government has laws and regulations,” said Anyana Apple Chabanic, professor of oceanography at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand. For example, the plastic waste roadmap does not include enforcement mechanisms that are likely to limit its effectiveness. Pompon Rats pointed to unconfirmed illegal construction of Samui people, where water drainage is often inadequate, which exacerbates flood problems.
Chabanic also said many Samui hotels and other tourism businesses have worked independently to make Koh Samui greener over the past decade or so, but these efforts have been made more of a government He said that assistance could be used. “This must be a collaboration between [the Thai] Government, local government, public and private sector,” she said.
Regarding that part, Four Seasons said they have embarked on a number of initiatives. In 2019, it partnered with Thailand’s Department of Marine and Coastal Resources on a reef conservation project that had eliminated all single-use plastics, handled grey water at the facility and previously reintroduced 16,000 corals from the resort to the reef offshore. The resort said it is developing additional sustainability measures in light of expectations White lotus Effective, but we were unable to provide details at this time as the plan is still approved.
Experts agreed that more action would be required to offset the damages from Koh Samui’s general magazine. The crowds are coming and prove it as climate change and ocean rise Threatening the whole beach vacation modelits cultural cache endures. Three seasons, White lotus It’s featured It accentuates nature, but always has ominous overtones. The fruits of the pom pom tree in one villa were found to be toxic. The big monitor lizard is one of the guests. It’s as if the island was about to send a message. A quarter century later Beach, Whether or not the message is received remains an open question.
