At long last, Borat has finally been accepted in his homeland of Kazakhstan. After years of the IRL country resisting, rejecting and outright banning Sacha Baron Cohen's character, Kazakhstan has finally given in. For proof, Kazakhstan is now using Borat's "Very Nice!" catchphrase as its new tourism slogan.
Apparently, all Kazakhstan needed to love Borat was a sequel — and a global pandemic.
"In COVID times, when tourism spending is on hold, it was good to see the country mentioned in the media," Kairat Sadvakassov, the deputy chairman of Kazakhstan's tourism board, told the New York Times. "Not in the nicest way, but it's good to be out there."
In a statement, Sadvakassov added, "Kazakhstan's nature is very nice. Its food is very nice. And its people, despite Borat's jokes to the contrary, are some of the nicest in the world."
Apparently, though, this wasn't the original plan. Sadvakassov explained that the Kazakhstan government was going to let the buzz about the newly released Borat Subsequent Moviefilm just '"die its natural death and not respond."
But the tourism board eventually decided to use "Kazakhstan. Very nice!" for the country's new tourism campaign, and you can see it in action in the video below.
"We would like everyone to come experience Kazakhstan for themselves by visiting our country in 2021 and beyond, so that they can see that Borat's homeland is nicer than they may have heard," Sadvakassov said.
But while the tourism heads over in Kazakhstan may have now forgiven Borat, it doesn't seem the Kazakhstan people have. After all, prior to the release of Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, 100,000 people signed an online petition to cancel the film. They also held protests the U.S. over the film.
Read Exclaim!'s review of Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.
Apparently, all Kazakhstan needed to love Borat was a sequel — and a global pandemic.
"In COVID times, when tourism spending is on hold, it was good to see the country mentioned in the media," Kairat Sadvakassov, the deputy chairman of Kazakhstan's tourism board, told the New York Times. "Not in the nicest way, but it's good to be out there."
In a statement, Sadvakassov added, "Kazakhstan's nature is very nice. Its food is very nice. And its people, despite Borat's jokes to the contrary, are some of the nicest in the world."
Apparently, though, this wasn't the original plan. Sadvakassov explained that the Kazakhstan government was going to let the buzz about the newly released Borat Subsequent Moviefilm just '"die its natural death and not respond."
But the tourism board eventually decided to use "Kazakhstan. Very nice!" for the country's new tourism campaign, and you can see it in action in the video below.
"We would like everyone to come experience Kazakhstan for themselves by visiting our country in 2021 and beyond, so that they can see that Borat's homeland is nicer than they may have heard," Sadvakassov said.
But while the tourism heads over in Kazakhstan may have now forgiven Borat, it doesn't seem the Kazakhstan people have. After all, prior to the release of Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, 100,000 people signed an online petition to cancel the film. They also held protests the U.S. over the film.
Read Exclaim!'s review of Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.