‘Borat’: the comedy movie that did more for tourism than any political policy
It’s fair enough that a country transformed into a source of widespread mockery by a smash hit comedy movie would be displeased at first, but over time, the humble nation of Kazakhstan has gone from outrage to acceptance over its links to Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat.
The populace was slightly miffed from the moment the character first debuted as part of Da Ali G show. However, it exploded into outright fury when the film bearing the character’s name became a global sensation that sailed past $260million at the box office, won a Golden Globe for its star’s performance, and snagged an Academy Award nomination for its screenplay.
Plenty of people who saw Borat had no idea where Kazakhstan was or if it was even a real country, but it suddenly became one of the most recognisable places on the planet. Although Baron Cohen was skewering the nation, for better or worse, it gave the country a level of visibility it hadn’t seen in a long time.
However, the downside was that many hated it, and that included the local censorship boards and political sector. Borat was banned in Kazakhstan during its initial release, but these days, the leading tourism authority in the land has embraced the intrepid journalist to such an extent that ‘Very Nice’ is quite literally the slogan encouraging tourists to come and visit.
It’s been a gradual process that didn’t happen overnight. Then-foreign minister Yerzhan Kazykhanov admitted six years after the movie’s release that “the number of visas issued by Kazakhstan grew tenfold” before he outlined how he was “grateful to Borat for helping attract tourists to Kazakhstan.”
No offence intended to the various bodies, groups, and organisers employed to encourage people to visit Kazakhstan, but a raucous comedy originated by a British comedian did more to have new visitors flocking to Kazakhstan’s shores than any precision-engineered campaign ever could. Baron Cohen may not have painted it in an altogether flattering light, but the impact was undeniable.
There’s plenty to Kazakhstan as a destination, and absolutely none of it has anything to do with Borat other than the fact the fictional creation hails from there. That being said, any country would welcome having its name placed on the global stage and becoming a part of the cultural lexicon, even if it would have been preferable to the authorities were Baron Cohen not mocking it at every turn.
It’s impossible to demand tourism, and as hard as the Kazakhs tried to make it happen, when the people who oversee the country are admitting Borat has been the single biggest driving force behind the uptick. It’s become abundantly clear they’ve been left with no other choice but to begrudgingly accept the mutual benefits of the relationship.
