The White Lotus has announced that its next season will be filmed in the South of France, shining a spotlight on the French Riviera as the latest destination to be reimagined through one of television’s most influential travel lenses.
For travel advisors, the headline is not simply another glamorous filming location. It is the return of one of television’s most powerful destination engines, the kind that turns scenery into shorthand for a lifestyle, then turns that lifestyle into bookings.
Set jetting is no longer niche. Film and television have moved from passive inspiration to a direct driver of travel decision making, particularly in luxury, where on screen aesthetics translate quickly into real world demand for premium hotels, private touring and high touch experiences.
The White Lotus sits at the sharp end of that influence because it does two things at once: it sells the fantasy of a place while satirising the people who can afford it. The result is a potent mix of aspiration and intrigue, with a clear halo effect for luxury properties and highly curated itineraries.
A major series can reframe classic destinations for a new audience, refreshing the mood board and updating the itinerary.
A spotlight from The White Lotus is likely to elevate familiar names such as Saint Tropez, Cap Ferrat, Monaco and Nice, while also encouraging travellers to explore the wider South of France through a more contemporary lens.
Luxury travel specialist Abercrombie and Kent says the appetite for screen inspired travel is longstanding, but what clients want has evolved.
Peter Chipchase, Chief Brand Officer at Abercrombie and Kent commented:
“Set jetting is a trend we’ve been seeing for many years, long before it had a name. Film and television shape travel aspirations because they create an emotional connection to a place and a lifestyle people want to experience for themselves.
We saw this with Sicily following The White Lotus season two, Croatia and Iceland after Game of Thrones, and Italy’s Lombardy and Ligurian regions after films like Call Me By Your Name. More recently, Emily in Paris has driven strong momentum among younger American travellers, with double digit growth in interest for Paris and the South of France.
What we consistently see is that travellers want far more than to stay where something was filmed. They want deeper access and highly curated experiences that go beyond the screen, something only Abercrombie and Kent can offer through decades of on the ground expertise and local relationships.
The decision to film the next season of The White Lotus on the French Riviera speaks volumes about the region’s enduring pull at the very top end of luxury travel. We anticipate increased enquiries and forward bookings for Saint Tropez, Cap Ferrat, Monaco and Nice, particularly from the US, and with incredible hotels such as Hôtel de Paris Monte Carlo, part of the Société des Bains de Mer portfolio, Anantara Plaza Nice Hotel, Hotel Royal Riviera and Cheval Blanc St Tropez, the Riviera continues to set the benchmark.”
The most important shift is this: clients are less interested in replicating a scene and more interested in accessing the feeling behind it. That is where luxury travel advisors can add value fast.
Whether travellers come for the locations or the lifestyle, the French Riviera is poised to feel newly relevant on the luxury travel circuit once filming begins.
For advisors, this is the moment to package the Riviera as more than a postcard, with itineraries built around access, storytelling and the kinds of details that clients cannot book on their own.
