According to Zere, a Kazakh blogger living in France for 15 years, the new season of the French TV show «Pékin Express» has led to a surge in positive comments about Kazakhstan. She says she has never seen such interest in the country before.
«In France, many people simply don’t know much about Kazakhstan. But lately, one after another, people have started telling me about Kazakhstan with great enthusiasm. At first, I couldn’t understand where it was all coming from,» the blogger said.
The show, which airs on the French TV channel M6, follows participants as they travel across Kazakhstan, experiencing its culture, nature and local traditions. They must organize their entire journey themselves — hailing taxis, finding hotels, or staying with local families.
This somewhat unusual format helps French viewers see Kazakhstan from the inside, with its customs, hospitality and everyday life. Zere believes this is exactly what has sparked their growing interest in the country and their desire to learn more.
In one episode, for example, the travelers were invited to stay with an ordinary Kazakh family, where they experienced local hospitality firsthand. Although the show is available in Europe only on paid streaming services, some of the most memorable moments are shared on the project’s Instagram account.
This is not the first time a foreign TV channel has filmed a reality show in Kazakhstan. In July last year, the country’s largest city, Almaty, was chosen as a filming location for the South Korean travel show «Hit and Miss Tour 4.»
