{"id":1000318,"date":"2025-04-01T18:59:17","date_gmt":"2025-04-01T22:59:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/?p=1000318"},"modified":"2026-01-05T21:16:55","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T02:16:55","slug":"professor-yang-yang-discusses-the-white-lotus-effect-and-tourism-impacts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/2025\/04\/01\/professor-yang-yang-discusses-the-white-lotus-effect-and-tourism-impacts\/","title":{"rendered":"Professor Yang Yang Discusses \u201cThe White Lotus Effect\u201d and Tourism Impacts"},"content":{"rendered":"

As HBO\u2019s hit series The White Lotus<\/span><\/span><\/strong> approaches its season finale, Professor Yang Yang (Tourism and Hospitality) joined Assistant Professor Kartik Nair (Film and Media Arts) in a Temple Now feature examining the show\u2019s cultural, economic, and tourism implications.<\/p>\n

Professor Yang explained how television and film influence travel decisions through awareness and emotional preparedness, contributing to what has been termed the \u201cWhite Lotus effect\u201d or \u201cset-jetting,\u201d where viewers travel to destinations featured on screen. While such exposure can significantly boost tourism demand, Yang emphasized the risks of overtourism, including environmental degradation, infrastructure strain, and social tensions. He stressed the importance of sustainable tourism strategies that balance economic benefits with long-term community well-being.<\/p>\n

The discussion also highlighted HBO\u2019s partnership with the Four Seasons, illustrating how experience-based, offline brand activations increasingly shape tourism and hospitality marketing. Yang noted that immersive, wellness-oriented experiences are likely to play a growing role in how destinations and brands engage consumers.<\/p>\n

Together, Yang and Nair framed The White Lotus<\/em> as both a social satire and a lens on contemporary issues of class, labor, desire, and meaning, underscoring how popular media can shape not only cultural conversations but also real-world travel behavior.<\/p>\n

More details on Temple Now:<\/p>\n

https:\/\/now.temple.edu\/news\/2025-04-01\/how-white-lotus-sparks-conversations-class-crime-desire<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As HBO\u2019s hit series The White Lotus approaches its season finale, Professor Yang Yang (Tourism and Hospitality) joined Assistant Professor Kartik Nair (Film and Media Arts) in a Temple Now …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4944,"featured_media":1000319,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1000318","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-media"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/files\/2025\/12\/y2_1.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":190,"url":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/2015\/02\/05\/bookbd\/","url_meta":{"origin":1000318,"position":0},"title":"Dr. Yang Yang Co-Authors Book Chapter Proposing a Conceptual Framework for Big Data Analytics in Tourism","author":"Yang Yang","date":"February 5, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 In an effort to review and synchronize previous big data analytic application in tourism and hospitality management, Dr. Yang Yang worked with Dr. Bing Pan (Associate Professor from College of Charleston) to craft a book chapter\u00a0proposing\u00a0a conceptual framework\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Publication"","block_context":{"text":"Publication","link":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/category\/publication\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/files\/2015\/02\/sdf.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/files\/2015\/02\/sdf.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/files\/2015\/02\/sdf.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1000951,"url":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/2020\/08\/28\/dr-yang-yang-featured-in-forbes-on-travels-lost-year-amid-covid-19\/","url_meta":{"origin":1000318,"position":1},"title":"Dr. Yang Yang Featured in Forbes on Travel\u2019s \u201cLost Year\u201d Amid COVID-19","author":"Yang Yang","date":"August 28, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Dr. Yang Yang was quoted in a widely read Forbes feature examining how 2020 became a \u201clost year\u201d for global travel as the COVID-19 pandemic devastated tourism demand. Drawing on the Tourism Index developed by Temple University\u2019s School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management, Dr. Yang highlighted the unprecedented scale\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Media"","block_context":{"text":"Media","link":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/category\/media\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1000978,"url":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/2024\/08\/06\/dr-yang-yang-elected-to-the-executive-council-of-the-international-association-for-tourism-economics\/","url_meta":{"origin":1000318,"position":2},"title":"Dr. Yang Yang Elected to the Executive Council of the International Association for Tourism Economics","author":"Yang Yang","date":"August 6, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Dr. Yang Yang has been elected as an Executive Council Member of the International Association for Tourism Economics (IATE). In this role, Dr. Yang will contribute to the association\u2019s leadership and strategic direction, supporting its mission to advance rigorous economic research in tourism and related fields. His election recognizes his\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Award"","block_context":{"text":"Award","link":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/category\/award\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/files\/2024\/08\/1754386170369.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/files\/2024\/08\/1754386170369.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/files\/2024\/08\/1754386170369.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/files\/2024\/08\/1754386170369.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1000953,"url":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/2017\/05\/25\/dr-yang-yang-commented-on-philadelphias-population-ranking-shift-on-cbs-philly\/","url_meta":{"origin":1000318,"position":3},"title":"Dr. Yang Yang Commented on Philadelphia\u2019s Population Ranking Shift on CBS Philly","author":"Yang Yang","date":"May 25, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Dr. Yang Yang was featured in a CBS Philly news segment discussing Philadelphia\u2019s shift from the fifth to the sixth largest city in the United States following the release of new census data. Responding to comparisons with Phoenix, Dr. Yang emphasized that population rankings alone are not an \u201capple-to-apple\u201d measure\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Media"","block_context":{"text":"Media","link":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/category\/media\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/files\/2026\/01\/Picture1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/files\/2026\/01\/Picture1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/files\/2026\/01\/Picture1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1000949,"url":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/2020\/12\/04\/media-feature-dr-yang-yang-on-pandemic-impacts-and-restaurant-resilience\/","url_meta":{"origin":1000318,"position":4},"title":"Media Feature: Dr. Yang Yang on Pandemic Impacts and Restaurant Resilience","author":"Yang Yang","date":"December 4, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Dr. Yang Yang was featured in MRM Research Roundup: Holiday Edition by Modern Restaurant Management, where he discussed his influential research on the early effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on U.S. restaurant demand and the industry\u2019s resilience. As an associate professor in Temple University\u2019s School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Media"","block_context":{"text":"Media","link":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/category\/media\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/files\/2025\/12\/Picture4.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/files\/2025\/12\/Picture4.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/files\/2025\/12\/Picture4.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1000987,"url":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/2025\/09\/16\/dr-yang-yang-delivers-iate-scholar-session-on-meta-analysis-in-tourism-economics\/","url_meta":{"origin":1000318,"position":5},"title":"Dr. Yang Yang Delivers IATE Scholar Session on Meta-Analysis in Tourism Economics","author":"Yang Yang","date":"September 16, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Dr. Yang Yang delivered a featured Scholar Session as part of Tourism Economics in Focus, the research seminar series organized by the International Association for Tourism Economics (IATE). Titled \u201cMeta-Analysis in Tourism Economics: Synthesizing Evidence, Advancing Knowledge,\u201d the seminar examined how meta-analytic methods can be used to systematically synthesize empirical\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Event"","block_context":{"text":"Event","link":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/category\/event\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/files\/2026\/01\/1755083950234.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/files\/2026\/01\/1755083950234.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/files\/2026\/01\/1755083950234.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/files\/2026\/01\/1755083950234.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/files\/2026\/01\/1755083950234.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1000318","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4944"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1000318"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1000318\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1000862,"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1000318\/revisions\/1000862"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1000319"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1000318"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1000318"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/yangyang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1000318"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}