Filtered By: Topstories
News

French TV reality show features Palawan's limestone cliffs


The limestone cliffs of El Nido in Palawan took center stage on French television as an obstacle course for French TV1's primetime summer reality show "Koh-Lanta." The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Monday that "Koh-Lanta," the French version of the American "Survivor," draws in up to seven million viewers every Friday. "Now running on its third week, the show has generated mass interest in the Philippines as a tourist destination and has received glowing reviews about the beauty of Palawan," the DFA said in a statement. The DFA added a French magazine has referred to Palawan as "un petit paradis sur Terre (a mini-paradise on earth)" with its luxurious vegetation, crystalline waters and tropical climate. Philippine ambassador José Abeto Zaide said the Philippine Embassy already received an exponential increase of queries on Palawan and the Philippines as a whole from holidaymakers. "Television is a medium that is crucial to the promotion of Philippines in French consciousness, and we are delighted that Palawan was chosen by the producers for this year's edition of Koh Lanta as it showcases what the Philippines can offer," he said. "Koh-Lanta" features 16 contestants vying for a prize of 100,000 Euros. The contestants' ages range from 16 to 55, and were selected from more than 25,000 applicants. Among them are a financial adviser, a retiree, a CEO, an agriculturist and a train conductor. The contestants must survive 40 days on the island and go through adventure games, mental challenges and physically demanding tasks. As an added incentive, the show will raffle off a roundtrip ticket to the Philippines for two at the end of its run. Shot between February and March of this year, "Koh-Lanta" was realized with the support of the Department of Tourism's representative for France Venus Tan. Tan in turn coordinated with local companies and the local government, among them El Nido Resort, Seair and Sofitel Philippine Plaza in Manila. - GMANews.TV

LOADING CONTENT