Movie Boosts Tourism in Kazakhstan

(Astana, Kazakhstan)

Kazakhstan's foreign minister on Monday thanked "Borat," the Sacha Baron Cohen comedy that the Central Asian nation once banned for lampooning its people, for massively boosting its tourism.

"With the release of this film, the number of visas issued by Kazakhstan grew tenfold," local news agencies quoted Foreign Minister Yerzhan Kazykhanov as telling a session of parliament.

"I am grateful to 'Borat' for helping attract tourists to Kazakhstan," the foreign minister said.

I suspect that no one anticipated an increase in tourists. The movie was arguably fat with insults.