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The Royal Tour

Travel Detective Blog: What’s Next for My Royal Tour Series

You may have noticed news reports linking Peter’s name with the Prime Minister of Israel, so we asked him to tell us a little bit about what’s been happening the past few weeks. 

As may have heard, we have been in Israel producing my next special Royal Tour series featuring heads of state––in this case Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. We’ve already produced “Jordan: The Royal Tour,” and other Royal Tour specials with heads of state in New Zealand, Jamaica, Peru and most recently, with Mexico’s President Felipe Calderón.

These special Royal Tour programs provide unprecedented access to a country told through the eyes of its leader. These are iconic sites and experiences as well as many more that are not in the brochures or guide books but accessible to the audience. We’ve gone flying in the Blackhawk of the King of Jordan, ice climbing with the Prime Minister of New Zealand, reed surfing with the President of Peru. In Mexico, the President and I rappelled 120 stories off a cliff, as well as explored deep into the mysterious world of the Maya.

The hour-long programs air on public television and are produced without any editorial interference or control by these countries or their tourist boards. And in the process, they explore the history, the culture and the host of genuine, authentic travel experiences with the ultimate tour guide: the head of state.

Not everything is planned, and every once in awhile, something doesn’t go according to plan. Durring this most recent shoot for Israel: The Royal Tour, Prime Minister Netanyahu and I participated in a joint Arab/Israeli soccer match at a football stadium in Jerusalem. I played goalie for one side. He played left forward for the other. He shot two goals against me. and then, on his third attempt, twisted his foot! He’s now got a small cast on his left foot and we had to suspend production for a few weeks

No, I did not derail any Middle East peace efforts, and yes, the Prime Minister will allow me to return to Israel! And you can expect to see the program on public television soon. Until then, follow me on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates on the production and more from my travels.

For more information on Israel, check out:

By Peter Greenberg for PeterGreenberg.com