New Seven Wonders of the World unveiled

By Nelson Alcantara

Voters have picked the new Seven Wonders of the World.

Mexico’s Chichén Itzá, Brazil’s Christ Redeemer, China’s The Great Wall, Peru’s Machu Picchu, Jordan’s Petra, Italy’s The Roman Colloseum and India’s The Taj Mahal are the new Seven Wonders of the World, according to a recent global poll.

The new Seven Wonders of the World were announced Saturday in a television broadcast hosted by British actor Ben Kingsley and US actress Hillary Swank. An estimated 1.6 billion viewers from more than 170 countries reportedly tuned in to watch the unveiling ceremony, which was held in Portugal’s Stadium of Light.

The poll, launched in January by a private Swiss foundation called New7Wonders, ended at midnight Friday and generated an estimated 100 million votes. "Never before in history have so many people participated in a global decision," said Swank at the unveiling ceremony. Voters were able to cast in their pick for the new Seven Wonders of the World via the Internet and via cellphone Short Message Service (popularly known as text messages).

According to 7NewWonders, voters selected from 21 sites short-listed out of 77 picked by a jury of renowned architects and ex-UNESCO chief Federico Mayor.

Commenting on the new Seven Wonders of the World, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) said, “On the eve of the announcement of the results of the competition for the New 7 Wonders of the World, UNWTO in welcoming the beneficial tourism potential of this initiative, underscores the importance of ensuring that intensified sustainability and destination management programs are put in place by the winners.”

The original Seven Wonders of the World (or the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World as they all existed more than 2,000 years ago) were all in the Mediterranean region. Only the Pyramids of Giza remains standing today. “The new competitors have been drawn from around the world and include some of the most important tourism icons, including several which have significant visitor numbers or delicately balanced ecosystems,” UNWTO added.

“While UNWTO has not been involved in this process we have followed it closely and well appreciate the promotional value of the exercise for destinations making the short list,” UNWTO secretary-general Francesco Frangialli said. “At the same time we are acutely aware of the consequences of increased visitation in terms of environmental impact and we would urge the winners to ensure that their sustainability planning and destination management adequately reflects this reality. “

Edged out in the new Seven Wonders of the World listing are some of the more recognized tourist icons, including the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Statue of Liberty in New York, Australia's Sydney Opera House, Angkor Wat temples in Cambodia and Stonehenge in Great Britain.

Printable Version | published Jul 09, 2007

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