Table Mountain needs your vote! Only 27 days to go! MyZA

In 4 weeks’ time, Table Mountain could be named one of the New7Wonders of Nature, an accolade that could create up to 11 000 new jobs and an additional R1.4 billion in annual revenue for South Africa.

To win that honour, Table Mountain needs to beat 27 other admired sites such as the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the Islands of Maldives, the Amazon in South America, the Dead Sea in Israel, Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa and the Grand Canyon in North America.

The only way to win will be to secure the largest chunk of citizen votes from the over 1 billion people who are taking part in the campaign worldwide.

The announcement of the seven sites on 11/11/11 will bring to a close a battle which has spanned more than three years. In 2008, Table Mountain was pinpointed as one of 440 magnificent natural sites selected by the New7Wonders Foundation to enter the New7Wonders of Nature contest.

After three phases in the competition, Table Mountain was then chosen to appear on a list of 77 sites before being publicly voted onto a final shortlist of 28 sites in July 2009. This is already a significant achievement Cape Town.

The New7Wonders Foundation based in Zurich, Switzerland, then set a challenge for the nations who hosted the top 28 sites. Each was given two years to attract enough votes to win the prestigious title of official New7Wonder of Nature. In South Africa voting platforms have been made accessible to everyone through the Internet and cell phones.

In an effort to involve more people in the campaign worldwide The New7Wonders Foundation has launched a new Facebook app which allows members of the world’s largest social network to vote for the New7Wonders of Nature. Go to www.facebook.com/New7WondersofNature, ‘Like’ the page, click on ‘Vote Now’, select your top 7 wonders and click ‘Send your vote’.

The official New7Wonders of Nature contest aims to raise awareness of the incredible variety and beauty of nature around us. The income generated through the campaign will ensure that these natural treasures are better preserved for future generations.

But what does this mean for South Africa?

If Table Mountain is named one of the 7 Wonders of Nature, Cape Town and South Africa can expect a massive boost in tourism revenue and brand value. A detailed report conducted by Grant Thornton, a leading tourism hospitality and leisure research company, found that tourism would increase by about 20%, with approximately 70% of these visitors being international tourists. It would also generate an additional R1.4 billion in revenue for the year or about R116 million a month. The expenditure would support around 11 000 employment opportunities in South Africa.

Voting for Table Mountain today means that for thousands of years to come, children will be learning about it as one of the 7 Wonders of Nature. It will forever have a place in the tourism guides, websites and history books of the world.

Powerful reasons to vote:

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu
“I really can understand how, when God created all that there is, he said, ‘I think I’ve got to do something special here’. And so God produced this fantastic gateway in the south – Table Mountain – our mountain, what a wonder! Help us take our rightful place among the New7Wonders of Nature.”Mayor Patricia de Lille
“No city, no country has a signpost like Table Mountain. It inspires, it brings people together. Let us celebrate and vote for it as one of the New7Wonders of the World.”FW de Klerk

“Table Mountain is the defining visual icon of Cape Town and South Africa. As a World Heritage site it belongs to all South Africans and all on the planet. Let us unite behind Table Mountain.”
There are four ways to make your vote for Table Mountain: