In just over a month, Table Mountain could be named one of the New7Wonders of Nature, an accolade that could generate 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 and celebrated sites such as the Islands of Maldives, the Amazon in South America, the Dead Sea in Israel and the Grand Canyon in North America. The only way to win is to steal the largest chunk of citizen votes from the over 1 billion people who will take part in the campaign worldwide.
The announcement of the seven sites on 11/11/11 (11 November 2011) 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. With 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.
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 cellphones.
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”.
Voting closes at 11:11am on 11/11/11, just 35 days away. All voting lines will be closed in the morning, and the announcement of the Official New7Wonders of Nature will be made later that afternoon.
“With the deadline quickly closing in, there is a sense of urgency to get people to understand the magnitude of this competition. South Africans have to make sure that our flat-topped wonder makes it into the final seven. It’s a once-in-a lifetime opportunity to create a legacy, an opportunity that we can’t ignore – there will never be another election like it. Once the final seven are decided, that’s it,” says Sabine Lehmann, chairperson of the Table Mountain Bid Committee.
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 seven wonders of nature, 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 percent, with approximately 70 percent of these visitors being international tourists.
This would also generate an additional R1.4 billion in revenue for the year or about R116 million a month, and 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 New7Wonders of nature. It will forever have a place in the history books of the world.
New7Wonders Campaign Manager Fiona Furey says: “Table Mountain has a great chance of making it into the top 7 but risks falling down the rankings due to vote apathy. At this point the final 28 sites are pulling out all the stops in their campaigns. It’s time for action! All South Africans need to back this crusade by voting for their Mountain as many times as they can. It’s now or never, this is an opportunity that will never present itself again.”
There are four ways to vote for Table Mountain: SMS “Table” to 34874 at R2 an SMS, visit www.votefortablemountain.com, vote via Mxit for only 20 cents, or vote on Facebook. If you vote via SMS or Mxit, you can vote as many times as you like!
