RI Drops Komodo’s ‘Seven Wonders’ Bid, Doubts Organizers

Jakarta, Indonesia - The government has withdrawn Komodo National Park from voting in the New7Wonders contest, questioning the organizers’ credibility.

“I officially announce the withdrawl of the Komodo National Park from the list of candidates for the New7Wonders,” Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik told reporters at a press conference in Central Jakarta on Monday.

Jero said the organizers of the campaign, the New7Wonders Foundation, was unprofessional, lacked transparency and was not credible.

The Culture and Tourism Ministry was previously the official support committee of Komodo National Park’s bid to be named one of the world’s seven new natural wonders through an online voting campaign.

Home to the rare Komodo dragon, Komodo National Park was one of 28 finalists in the competition, beating more than 400 applicants from more than 100 countries.

“We have spent around Rp 10 billion [US$1.1 million] on campaign activities over the past three years,” Jero told The Jakarta Post.

A spat emerged after the foundation said it might drop Komodo National Park from the list of finalists after the government declined to pay a $10 million licensing fee and $35 million declaration fee to host a ceremony declaring the contest’s winners.

Sapta Nirwandar, the ministry’s tourism marketing director, said that the foundation did not have an actual office.

“We were sent a letter to the office address in Zurich, but the letter came back to us because the address was not clear,” he said during the press conference.

It was very strange for an international organization involved in million-dollar transactions not to have a real office, he said.

The Culture and Tourism Ministry, while dropping its campaign to promote Komodo National Park in the contest, would continue to promote the park as conservation area and as a tourist destination along with other ministries, including the Forestry Ministry, Jero said.

Komodo National Park includes the major islands of Komodo, Rinca, and Padar.

It is located near the virtual center of the Indonesian archipelago, between the islands of Sumbawa and Flores.

The park was established in 1980 to conserve the Komodo dragon and its habitat. Over the years, the park’s goals have expanded to protecting its terrestrial and marine biodiversity.

In 1986, the Park was declared a World Heritage Site and a Man and Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO — both indications of the Park’s biological importance.

The habitats harbor more than 1,000 fish species, 260 species of reef-building coral and 70 species of sponges.

Dugong, sharks, manta rays, at least 14 species of whales, dolphins, and sea turtles also make Komodo National Park their home.

Aliya Muafa, a backpacker who has been to the island, said it offered exotic terrain and stunning waters, but its savanna and pastures have not optimally used.

“The government needs to fix the transportation and all public services, and also include local residents in managing the area,” Aliya told the Post.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com

Photo: http://beauty-animal.blogspot.com

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