More tourists to troop to Thailand thanks to HBO’s ‘White Lotus,’ and other news

For PropertyGuru’s news roundup, thanks to the Emmy-winning HBO show The White Lotus, Thailand should expect a surge of tourists this 2025. In other stories, the Philippines reaffirms its dedication to climate action through green economic pathways. Lastly, passenger traffic at Singapore’s Changi Airport has almost fully recovered in 2024, but the conundrum is visitor arrivals are still lagging.

‘White Lotus’ is expected to lure more tourists to Thailand. These are the locations featured on season 3 of the hit show

The third season of the Emmy-winning HBO show The White Lotus, set in Thailand, takes place within The Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui, standing in for the title character — the White Lotus Resort & Spa. (Both seasons one and two were filmed in Four Seasons properties.) According to CNN Travel, much has been said about the inevitable impact the show will have on tourism growth. Multiple tour companies and resorts have already put together “White Lotus” themed Thailand packages, and searches are up 40 percent for Koh Samui ahead of season three. The island will likely see an even higher bump in the weeks to come.

PH reaffirms commitment to promoting a green economy

The Climate Change Commission (CCC) has reaffirmed the Philippines’ dedication to climate action through green economic pathways. In a news release on 7th February, the CCC said the 2025 Sustainability Forum: The Green Economies of Tomorrow held on 31st January gathered key figures from the government, business, and international organizations to fast-track the country’s transition to a sustainable, low-carbon economy. “The private and public sectors are crucial partners in this transformation. The shift to renewable energy, electric vehicles, smart cities, and sustainable agriculture are all areas where we can advance,” Secretary Robert E.A. Borje, Vice Chairperson and Executive Director of the CCC, said in PNA.

Commentary: Why are Singapore visitor arrival numbers so slow to recover?

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has been hard at work. Coldplay’s latest music video features iconic Singapore landmarks, and Singapore secured a multi-year deal to bring NBA basketball events to the country. Both activities reinforce Singapore’s reputation as a world-class travel destination. However, visitor arrivals have not yet recovered to pre-COVID levels, according to CNA. Passenger traffic at Changi Airport has almost fully recovered at 67.7 million in 2024. But the conundrum is visitor arrivals are still lagging. The gap between Changi Airport passenger traffic and Singapore visitor arrivals seems to be accelerating as visitor arrivals were the weakest in the last two months of 2024.

The Property Report editors wrote this article. For more information, email: [email protected].