Celebrations erupted at the V&A Waterfront over the weekend as Table Mountain was named a New 7
Wonder of Nature following a three year battle in the race to choose
the world’s seven most wonderful natural sites
“This is an incredible moment for us. Our mountain, which we all cherish, is now officially recognized as one of the marvels of the environment. We have long known this to be true and some might even ask why we need this proof if we already knew it. It is because Cape Town is a symbol. It is a symbol of permanence in a world that is full of change. It is a symbol of the heritage that we are privileged to have. And it is a symbol that reminds us that we are privileged enough to live in an incredible country with incredible assets, giving us hope for the future,” said Mayor Patricia de Lille.
The marketing effort that has been put behind the campaign has generated more than R35,2 million worth of exposure for our mountain, raising its profile globally and generating massive good will toward South Africa.
It is anticipated that the announcement will bring significant tourism growth to Cape Town, says Martin Jansen van Vuuren, Strategic Director at Grant Thornton Cape.
According to research Grant Thornton conducted on behalf of the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, South Africa will gain an additional 108 000 international tourists a year due to the increased exposure of Table Mountain as a New 7 Wonder.
Table Mountain competed with 27 other natural wonders to secure an accolade as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature, with other contenders such as the Dead Sea in the Palestine, the Grand Canyon in the USA and Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro.
“The growth in tourism, particularly in the Western Cape, will be boosted despite the fragile global economy. As a result of its increased popularity, Table Mountain will be a major draw card and a key deciding factor in people’s decisions to come to South Africa,” says Jansen van Vuuren.
The value of this tourism increase is estimated to be approximately R1,4 billion per year for the first five years following the inclusion.
The New 7 Wonders are:
-Amazon, in the Amazon Basin of South America
-Halong Bay in Quáng Ninh Province, Vietnam
-Iguazu Falls, in Argentina, Brazil
- Jeju Island, a volcanic island located 130km from South Korea
-Komodo National Park in Indonesia
-Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, 50km north of the city of Puerto Princesa Palawan, Phillippines
-Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa.
The New7Wonders.com website says that there could possibly be changes between the above provisional winners and the eventual final confirmed winners. The voting calculation is now being checked, validated and independently verified, and the confirmed winners will be announced starting early 2012 during the official inauguration ceremonies.
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