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Adventure tour agencies have reported that Race Across the World has led to an increase in travellers booking trips to the lesser-known Central Asian destinations featured in the television programme.
Another season of the hit BBC show concludes this week, with viewers waiting to see which team will make it to the finish line first after a colossal 7,400-mile journey through Europe and Asia.
The epic expedition started in the familiar European territory of Sicily, but as the teams continued racing from checkpoint to checkpoint, they visited destinations less sought out by Western travellers, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia.
The show has become a beloved staple on our screens, not just for its heartwarming storylines but also for exposing its viewers to destinations not usually considered.
Travel to Central Asia has always been accessible to some more than others, due to the cost it takes to tour the region and its unfamiliarity, yet the show seems to have inspired some Britons to take on these once-in-a-lifetime, bucket list destinations.
Adventure group tour company Wild Frontiers said this has translated into more people booking these lesser-visited destinations, calling it the “Race Across the World effect”.
The company said all of the destinations featured in the show have had a strong year-on-year booking growth. Interest in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan tours has risen by 25 and 30 per cent, respectively, while interest in Turkey tours has grown by 160 per cent.
Before reaching Central Asia, the teams travelled through lesser-visited parts of Turkey. The surge in adventurous trips to the country with Wild Frontiers may mean that some holidaymakers are ready to step out of their comfort zone, but still within a country that is familiar and easy to access.
Wild Frontiers’ CEO Clare Tobin said: “For many travellers, the appeal is then taking those destinations and experiencing them in a completely different way – more slowly, more deeply and more consciously.”
Ms Tobin added that shows like Race Across the World give “travellers the confidence to explore emerging destinations they may previously have overlooked”.
Escorted trip specialist Wendy Wu Tours also saw a noticeable spike in enquiries and bookings in the days immediately following each episode.
Comparing April and May this year with the same period last year, they have seen a 300 per cent increase in enquiries and bookings across its Central Asia tours. Similarly, tour operator Mercury Holidays saw demand for its Mongolia escorted itineraries increase by more than 200 per cent since the season started to air.
Meanwhile, Joanna Reeve, the UK general manager of adventure travel company Intrepid, said that bookings to Uzbekistan were up 50 per cent the week after it featured on the show, and bookings to Mongolia are up 60 per cent this month.
“The show has shone a light on the incredible, unique and sometimes life-changing experiences that off-the-beaten-track travel can give,” she explained. “Travellers want something out of the ordinary, and know they need to push themselves out of their comfort zone in order to find it.”
“The show has inspired Brits to immerse themselves in local culture, connect with local communities and experience a more authentic side to a destination,” she added.
Meanwhile, luxury tour operator Steppes Travel argues that Race Across the World is actually “playing catch-up”.
“Interest in Central Asia has been building strongly for the past two to three years, and many of the places featured in the series are destinations our clients have already been exploring well ahead of the programme,” a spokesperson for the agency said.
“We’re delighted to see the BBC shine a spotlight on a region that offers extraordinary landscapes, rich living history and some of the world’s most rewarding overland journeys.
“In response to growing demand, Steppes Travel has expanded its Central Asia programme, recruiting an additional regional specialist and adding further departures to our small group tour collection.”
How to have your own Race Across the World-inspired adventure in Central Asia
Kazakhstan
Silk Road - Kazakhstan: Across The Kazakh Steppe
This 11-day tour with Wild Frontiers takes travellers across the world’s largest landlocked country through its cities like Almaty, to cultural landmarks like the burial mounds at Esyk and on breathtaking walks in natural beauty areas like Charyn Canyon.
The 11-day trip is priced from £3,150, including meals, transport, accommodation, an expert guide and entry fees. Excludes international flights.
Uzbekistan
Premium Uzbekistan
Intrepid offers a guided trip for up to 12 people across Uzbekistan to discover the heritage left behind by the Silk Road. Travellers will explore the cosmopolitan capital of Tashkent, the architecture in Samarkand and visit the holy sites of Bukhara while visiting locals to get a taste of traditional Uzbek life.
Intrepid’s 10-day trip starts at £1,951, including meals, premium accommodation, an expert guide, transport, airport transfers, entry fees and tips. Excludes international flights.
Uzbekistan and the Silk Route with Mercury Holidays
This escorted tour with Mercury Holidays includes Uzbek highlights such as Tashkent, the Kalta Minor Minaret, the holy city of Bukhara. The itinerary also has time for activities such as wine tasting at Khovrenko Winery and cooking classes with a local family in Samarkand.
This 12-day trip starts at £2,339, including international flights, meals, accommodation, an expert guide, transport and entry fees.
Kyrgyzstan
Spirit of Kyrgyzstan
Wendy Wu Tours say that their brand new package through Kyrgyzstan is one of their most successful product launches to date, in part due to the show. The tour aims to highlight the dramatic contrasts of the landscapes, from the snow-capped peaks of the Tian Shan mountains to the lush green Jeti-Oguz valley. Experiences include sleeping in yurt camps, soaking in Karakol’s hot springs and making borsook with locals.
The 11-days Spirit of Kyrgyzstan tour starts at £3,590, including international flights, meals, accommodation, an expert guide, transport and entry fees.
Kyrgyzstan 4x4 Self-Drive Adventure
Steppes Travel offers adventurous explorers a chance to visit Kyrgyzstan’s quieter heartlands with off-road driving led by an expert, with stays in traditional yurts and local guest houses while learning about nomadic customs and contemporary life.
Departing in July 2027, this 12-day trip is priced from £5,995. Includes airport transfers, sightseeing transport, self-drive car rental, a support vehicle, third-party insurance, fuel, meals, accommodation, an expert guide and entry tickets. Excludes international fights.
Mongolia
Mongolia: Nomads Of The Steppe Group Tour
Experience Mongolia through this 10-day tour with Wild Frontiers, which will take you to traditional semi-nomadic camps, the Genghis Khan monument in Tsonjin Boldog and visit Erdene Zuu Monastery in Kharkhorin.
The 10-day trip is priced from £2,865, including meals, transport, accommodation, an expert guide and entry fees. Excludes international flights.
Trans-Mongolian Railway Adventure
Embark on this epic rail journey with Intrepid, which will see you riding a section of the Trans-Mongolian Railway from China to Inner Mongolia. From there, it's on to the steppes of Khustai National Park, the dunes of the Gobi Desert and the spiritual city of Sainshand.
The 11-day trip is priced from £1,912, including meals, transport (including train travel), accommodation, an expert guide and entry fees. Excludes international flights.
Recreate the race
Silk Road Roving
While not affiliated with BBC or Race Across the World, Wendy Wu Tours has created a bespoke itinerary inspired by each destination the competitors visited on this season of the show. Starting in Istanbul, a guided tour will take travellers to Mongolia over a 55 day-stretch, passing through Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
Included in the 55-day trip are all International flights, 54 nights of premium accommodation, all transfers, an expert guide, meals, entry fees and visa fees. From £17,999.
Read more: Race Across the World locations – where was the 2026 series filmed?
