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THE NEW SEVEn WOnDERs

And the New Seven Wonders of the modern world are ... do you remember? Last year on the 7th July? Yes, it is almost one year after the seven wonders were announced. How are they doing now? Are they still so enthusiastic about the hoards of tourists tempted by the N7W contest? Come and see the consequences of winning one of the largest polls of all times.

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THE MAKING OF A WONDER OF THE WORLD

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On

July 7, 2007, seven world-known sites were named the new Seven Wonders of the World, after a worldwide vote by telephone and Internet. They are the Chichen Itzas El Castillo, the Taj Mahal in India, the Great Wall of China, Petra in Jordan, Brazils statue of Christ the Redeemer, Perus Machu Picchu, and the Colosseum in Rome. The Pyramids of Giza received an honorary place on the list, as it is the last remaining monument of the original Seven Wonders of the World.

candidates. The Foundation then created one of the worlds largest contest. Anyone with an access to a telephone or the Internet could vote for their favorite seven monuments. Originally, the plan was to have the contest end on Jan. 1, 2007, but someone got the bright idea to hold off until July 7: 7/7/07.

How It Started The idea to name the seven new wonders was the brainchild of Bernard Weber, a Swiss adventurer and entrepreneur. The original seven wonders, which were on a list invented in Greece more than 2,000 years ago, no longer exist, save for the Great Pyramid in Giza, Egypt. Weber decided the time had come to name a new seven. In 2001, Weber created the New Open World Foundation, which eventually generated a list of more than 100 possible

Mexico: Promoting the World Wonder At first, some media complained that Mexicos representatives were not taking the contest seriously enough. With a few months left to go in the contest, everything changed. The Coca-Cola Companys Mexico division distributed millions of cans of soft drinks emblazoned with a slogan Vota por Chichen Itza. The government of Mexico and the Council of Tourist Promotion of Mexico (CPTM) put more than a half-million US dollars behind the campaign to make sure Chichen won. In addition, CPTMs image campaign promoting Mexico, almost $40 million (Mexican) of advertising and collateral distribution

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seen around the world, carried the slogan asking people to vote for Chichen Itza. Telmex, the Mexican telephone monopoly, distributed countless phone cards with the slogan. And Pemex, the national gasoline monopoly, put up thousands of posters at the pumps promoting El Castillo. Mexico was not unusual in its efforts. Other countries were also promoting their sites. In Peru the government set up computer terminals in public plazas to encourage people to vote for the Inca city of Machu Picchu. In Chile President Michelle Bachelet called on his people to vote for the volcanic rock statues of Easter Island. In Brazil President Luiz Incio da Silva used his weekly radio address to tell his people how to vote for Rios famous statue of Christ the Redeemer. In China the state-run news agency alerted people to the on-going vote and the opportunity to choose the Great Wall. In India, there was a campaign to promote the vote for the Taj Mahal. In Jordan the royal family urged its subjects to vote for the rock city of Petra. Apparently the promotion efforts worked, for most of the above were named the new wonders. In Europe, the British newspaper The Sun tried to promote Stonehenge (Phonehenge, they called it), but had to admit that Europe was lagging in its promotional efforts even though five of the finalists could be found there: the Acropolis in Athens, Greece; the Colosseum in Rome, Italy; the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France; and the Alhambra in Spain. Only the Colosseum was named with almost no promotion.

Reaction of UNESCO UNESCO, the United Nations watchdog over so-called World Heritage sites, publicly separated itself from the worldwide campaign to name the new seven wonders of the world. UNESCO wishes to reaffirm that there is no link whatsoever between UNESCOs World Heritage programme, which aims to protect world heritage, and the current campaign concerning The New 7 Wonders of the World, their statement said. UNESCO explained that its mandate is to identify and encourage preservation of sites of patrimony in the world. Not so the New7Wonders campaign. Acknowledging the sentimental or emblematic value of sites and inscribing them on a new list is not enough, UNESCO wrote. The list of the 7 New Wonders of the World will be the result of a private undertaking, reflecting only the opinions of those with access to the Internet and not the entire world. This initiative cannot, in any significant and sustainable manner, contribute to the preservation of sites elected by this public. Other Criticism Various warning voices and criticism could be also heard from conservationists and supporters of the worlds heritage protection. In Mexico for instance the people in INAH, the federal agency that oversees the ruins of Chichen Itza, worried about the impact the designation as a world wonder would have on the ancient city. Being named a world wonder will create an influx, said Eduardo Perez de Heredia, the INAH director as-

signed to Chichen Itza. It is going to oblige us to implement restrictions because there is a limit of 1.5 million visitors per year which cannot be passed. He decried as banal that Coca-Cola advertises the New7Wonders campaign by putting the image of El Castillo, sacred center of the Maya, on millions of cans of soda. And yet, INAH also played along. It permitted Bernard Weber to hold at Chichen his media circus promoting the ancient citys candidacy in the contest. Two months before the announcement, INAH completed the restoration of El Castillo, cleaning every square inch of the giant building, removing dirt and moss, and replacing crumbling or failed mortar.

And the Winner Is On the day the winners were announced, INAH had capitulated to the inevitable. The organizers behind the New7Wonders campaign received permission from INAH to broadcast from Chichen Itza for its television program announcing the winners. Perez de Heredia called the New7Wonder campaign a mediatic phenomenon that no one can restrain. Ironically, the cost to license the television broadcast from Lisbon was more than the Mexican officials were willing to pay. As a result, when Chichen Itza was announced as one of the winners, no one saw it on television. Instead, Governor

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Patricio Patrons wife announced Chichen Itzas selection by telephone. An estimated crowd of 8,000, lured by reduced (and eventually free) admission to the archaeological zone, were on hand at Chichen to celebrate the ancient citys victory. Yucatans Governor-elect Ivonne Ortega Pacheco was the only major government official present, and she would not take office for several months. There was a protest by fewer than 100 of the 800 vendors who invade the archaeological zone each day to sell handicrafts and trinkets. They demanded fair treatment as the descendants of the Maya people who built Chichen Itza. The governor-elect promised to work with all interests to develop a master plan of Chichen Itza that would take into account the locals who will be affected by the increased tourism from the wonder of the world designation.

The idea that someone from even the poorest country can communicate with almost anyone anywhere in the world is revolutionary. For the first time in the worlds history, we are truly entering into an egalitarian age, where the poorest from the poorest country can have the same power to communicate ideas as those from the richest nations. Another testament to how powerful the New7Wonders contest was is that none of the winners came from the so-called Western world, save for the Colosseum in Rome. And as the Los Angeles Times reported, the contest generated barely a ripple of interest in Italy, so the Colosseum won because others around the world voted for it. Notwithstanding all the technical and methodological faults of the campaign, the New Seven Wonders opened the door to the contests of the 21st century when the voice of even the weaker countries can be heard.
(text shortened) By Evan J.Albright http://www.americanegypt.com/

World Wide Reach While certainly a popularity contest, the campaign to name new wonders of the world was not a contest of elites. Most of the winners came from what some have characterized as the Third World nations. Yet these Third World countries have technology available to the masses so that they can participate in a world-wide election over the Internet and by telephone.

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A REVEALING ANALYSIS OF NEW 7 WONDERS VOTING

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The

results of the worlds first-ever global vote to determine the New 7 Wonders of the World were announced on July 7, 2007, in Lisbon, in the presence of 50,000 spectators. Now, after 7 years of campaigning, Bernard Weber, Founder and President of New7Wonders, shares his thoughts about what made this election so different and the results so special.

Who Voted the Most? Bernard Webers analysis of what he discovered when he took a closer look at the 100 million votes from all countries of the world, is astonishing. Everybody who observed the project well was interested in what was the most numerous group of voters. The answer is simple: children and young people voted in great numbers. Bernard Weber explains: Children up to a certain age do not have a strong national sense of pride, so they were our most objective voters, they voted for what they genuinely liked best. Well-Connected and Full of Passion Another significant fact was the number of voters that came from the so-called developing societies, where the role of the interactive media (phone and Internet) is different from the one in the western world. It seems that people in developing societies use the Internet differently from us in the western, northern

world of plenty. For them, it is the gateway to connect with the rest of the world. Our voting system proved to be well-balanced: Internet voting was the equalizing factor, while SMS and phone votes expressed the passion and strong feelings that people had for their favorite monument. For Bernard Weber, the new list of 7 Wonders reflects quite accurately what economists predict as the upcoming economic and industrial regions in the world in the not-too-distant future: China, India and South America. And another surprise: a huge number of votes poured in supporting the African candidate Timbuktu, in Mali. Had the organizers started campaigning just a month earlier, Timbuktu would have had a serious chance to be elected as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World! More people from Korea and Japan voted for the Eiffel Tower than did people from France. Many children worldwide loved Neuschwanstein Castle, but the Germans didnt. The United States, whose inhabitants voted very passionately and in truly huge numbers, did not vote for their Statue of Liberty.
http://www.new7wonders.com/

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N 7 W: ONE YEAR AFTER

as being very, very special! We are also working with the New 7 Wonders to organize Official Inaugurations that will, once again, have the eyes of the whole world on them. We are working on a New7Wonders Museum, in which they will be featured along with this milestone campaign, the first-ever global election. In the longer term, New7Wonders is also committed to creating detailed photogrammetric 3D images of the New 7 Wonders, which are scientifically exact, high-definition records that capture the entire monument. Hence these New 7 Wonders will be preserved for the future, in scale and with every single detail. This is important, especially as we must remember that, of the Ancient 7 Wonders, only one remains (The Pyramids at Giza) and we have no real idea what the other ones even looked like. For the New7Wonders of Nature, which are being chosen now, we know that the campaign will raise awareness of the incredible variety and beauty of nature around us. As our slogan says, If we want to save anything, we first need to truly appreciate it! This is something that is very importantmore awareness and more tourism income means that these natural treasures can be better preserved for future generations. TR: Do you see any negative consequences of winning the new wonders status on tourism? If yes, how can they be prevented? Viering: A rise in interest in a countrys natural or cultural heritage, both domestically and internationally, can only be extremely positive! Of course, an increase in visitors to important sites, be they natural or human-built, must be managed but this is a challenge that offers great potential for creative and positive growth. The worst fate that can happen to anything, be it a culture, a monument or any other part of a nations heritage, is to be forgotten and to slide into oblivion. Had the Ancient 7 Wonders of the World not been neglected, maybe they would
EcOnOmIc ImpAcT fOR ThE N7W PARTIcIpAnTs A campaign is underway to encourage people to vote for Ha Long Bay as one of New 7 Wonders of Nature and as a result the number of visitors increased by almost 60 per cent in the first quarter of this year against last years first three months. Viet Nam News, May 2, 2008 Neuschwanstein Castle hit new record in attracting visitors, as 1.36 million people (an increase of 8.4%) came last year. According to Bavarian Finance Minister Erwin Huber. Augsburger Allgemeine Zeitung, Germany Feb. 22, 2008 The increase in the number of visitors to the kingdom is also borne out by some impressive figures released by national flag carrier, Royal Jordanian. The airline registered the highest monthly total of passengers in its 44 year history in July when it transported 240,000 people, a 15 per cent rise on the same month last year. AME Info fn, The Ultimate Middle East Business Resource, Sept. 5, 2007

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The

New7Wonders Foundation with its world known search for the wonders of the modern world has certainly shifted the concept of surveys and opinion polls a step further. Tourism Review asked Tia B.Viering, the Foundations Head of Communications, about their views of the contest one year after. TR: Can you identify any positive influence of the New7Wonders contest on the new wonders tourism industry? Viering: First of all, the most important benefit that the New 7 Wonders of the World have experienced has been a rise of up to 40% in tourism. This is huge! This allows countries to put sustainable tourism measures into place. Of course, using the hook of the Wonder, the country can also promote their culture, heritage and country as a wholesince they have peoples attention already. It is also very important to give people in a country reasons to be proud of their home, and it is easy to be proud of something that has been recognized by the whole world

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still be there for us to treasure and appreciate todaybut people near and far stopped caring about them and nobody minded when they fell into ruins. This is a tragedy and New7Wonders wants to increase the awareness of our common global heritage so this has less of a chance of happening today. Think of it this way: Having no visitors is a serious problem since there is then no money to take care of a national treasure having more visitors offers the chance to optimize procedures, built better facilities, help the local population, clean up the region, etc. The more people who know about your culture and your country, the more reason your local population has to be proud of their heritage, to appreciate the beauty in our worlds diversity. The challenge is to use increased interest and increased tourism traffic and revenues to benefit the entire country, to protect the countrys cultural and natural heritage. This should be a very welcome challenge! TR: According to the N7W website fifty percent of net revenue raised by the New7Wonders Project is to be used to fund monument documentation and conservation efforts worldwide. Was any amount already dedicated to some conservation project? Are there any specific plans to do so? Viering: The New7Wonders Foundation is a non-profit organization that hosted the first-ever global election despite huge challenges. N7W is, as you note, completely committed to supporting monument preservation and conservation. The first step toward preservation is to raise awareness for the cause and N7W has achieved this to an incredible extent! The first campaign took 7 years to be completed and, with a core team of less than 20 dedicated people, changed the world and showed how people around the world could join their voices and their enthusiasm for a positive cause! We are incredibly proud of this. New7Wonders invested more than 10 million in the first campaign and, thanks to the sale of broadcast rights to the Declaration of the New 7 Wonders of the World and other, smaller sources of revenue, N7W broke at the close of the campaign. We are extremely confident that money can be generated with such positive, future-oriented and peaceful initiativesand when N7W does generate excess revenue (this is what profits are called in a non-profit organization), we will devote them to preserving and restoring monuments. The Bamiyan Buddha reconstruction project is a first example for N7Ws activity and commitment: N7W, together with the ETH Technical University in Zurich, Switzerland, produced the only existing high-definition 3D model that can be used for any attempt to rebuild this monument. This is the only current restoration project. TR: With respect to the fierce criticism of the contests methodology (weak objectivity) that appeared in the media do you plan any changes in the strategy of choosing the new wonders of nature? Viering: Harnessing the power and scope of modern communications technology is the fairest, and indeed the only, way to hold a global vote and to reach as many people as possible. The most important thing is that people think about our global culture, our natural world, as being something that we all share this dialogue is incredibly important. The number of people with access to the Internet is growing every day and this is the way to reach the greatest number of people, to empower them to participate. The fact that we got over 100 million votes, many from the developing world, shows that there is a growing desire to interact with people around the world. Bottom linethe Ancient 7 Wonders of the World were chosen by one man. The UNESCO World Heritage sites, a long list of 851 sites, monuments, villages, etc. are chosen by 21 people. New7Wonders strongly believes that our global cultural and natural heritage belongs to the people. Culture and nature are, by definition, for and from the people, all peoplenot to be hijacked by historians or academics or bureaucrats who say that the people are not experts and only experts know what is of real value! These comments are valuable: The poll itself is a wonder, from Reuters and Something new to bring the world together, from AP.

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EVERYONE SHOULD SEE CHICHN ITZ? MAYBE NOT

exports and money wired home from Mexicans living abroad. 80% of foreign tourists visiting Mexico were from the U.S. There is however a speculation that the officials will have to begin limiting the number of tourists allowed at the site, which was already overrun by day-trippers before this new seven wonders brouhaha began. Excessive and uncontrolled tourism, damage to existing structures, souvenir vendors, new infrastructure, conflict with local landowners, research at the mercy of budgetary whimsy, and growing economic inequality are the seven headaches suffered by the newest of the seven wonders, which was declared part of UNESCOs list of heritage in 1988.

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It

is a clich of course, but there are no unmixed blessings. This is one of these things where there isnt any one right answer everybody SHOULD see Chichn Itz, but if everybody does, then what happens? Fame is nothing new for Chichn Itz. Since the 9th century AD, when it was the political and religious center of the Itzes until today, it has been astonishing visitors from the Spanish soldiers commanded by Franscico de Montejo to todays hordes of national and foreign tourists. Almost one year ago, the most emblematic building, the Pyramid of Kukulcn (also known as El Castillo) became one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. However, the new found dream of glory for Chichn is not free from its headaches. Hoteliers and tourism promoters literally cheered when Chichn Itz was officially named one of the New Wonders. Hacienda Xcanatn near Mrida immediately began including a guided road trip to the archaeological site in its three-night Wonder Package. Ultra-elite Esencia south of Cancn quickly announced a private airplane tour complete with guide and picnic lunch. Similar deals and tours have popped up throughout the Yucatn Peninsula, where the interior is finally claiming its fair share of the tourist trade. Mexican officials said the recognition awarded to Chichen Itza offered an opportunity to boost Mexicos tourism industry, which has fallen off in recent years because of hurricane damage in the Yucatan Peninsula, drug-related violence, and reports of unrest in Oaxaca and other popular tourist destinations. This designation will allow us to promote Chichen Itza as a global destination, said Francisco Lopez Mena, president of the Consejo de Promocion Turistica de Mexico. Tourism brought $13 billion into Mexico last year and was the countrys third most important source of foreign income, after oil

Mass Tourism and Damage The first alarms about the dangers of mass tourism in the archaeological zone of Chichn Itz were raised by archeologists Peter J.S.Schmidt and Agustn Rock, at the beginning of 1990s. Presently, Chichn Itz receives over a million visitors a year, making it the second most visited archaeological zone in the country, after Teotihuacn. By including Chichn Itz as one of the wonders, the tourism sector, having already invested more than a million dollars in promoting the site, hopes to double the number of visitors, which implies extending the infrastructure needed to handle the visitors. This will bring a huge number of visitors, Federica Sodi, of the INAH Yucatan affirms. The plans call for handling the tourists in a controlled form, but the place is not designed to lodge huge amounts of visitors. Until 2006, tourists could do a quick visit to the site, which included a chance to climb well-known structures like El Castillo and to be photographed seated on the sculpture of Chac Mool. Damage to the building, not designed for continual visits, forced the INAH authorities to prevent access, just as the New Seven Wonders advertising was coming out on the Web, prominently featuring the pyramid during an event. All archeological sites in the world are at risk, complained zone archeologist Peter J.S.Schmidt. Nothing is forever. Its too bad we cant cover El Castillo, as a preventative measure.
Chichen Itza, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the second-most visited of Mexicos archaeological sites. The archaeological site draws many visitors from the popular tourist resort of Cancn, who make a day trip on tourist buses. Most visitors come on the day of the spring equinox. That day several thousand show up to see the light-and-shadow effect on the Temple of Kukulcan in which the feathered serpent god supposedly can be seen to crawl down the side of the pyramid. http://e n.wikip edia.or g/

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Economic growth is slowing in Mexico, as the hit from the U.S. recession offsets a boom in oil revenues. The government expects the gross domestic product to expand by 2.8% this year, compared with 3.3% last year. The country depends heavily on manufacturing exports to the U.S., which have slowed due to the U.S. downturn. More than 21 million tourists visited Mexico in 2007, but the figure was only a very slight increase on the previous year. The country is keen to draw in as many tourist dollars as possible after its current account deficit rose to 0.8% of gross domestic product last year, from 0.2% of GDP in 2006. Tourism accounted for 4.9 percent of Mexicos economy in 2007, according to a report by the World Economic Forum.

In addition to construction within the zone, a freeway tying Mrida with Chichn Itz and Cancn, was finished in 1993 to handle tourist traffic, as were additional Cancn and Cozumel. Toms Perez indicates that the town of Tip is growing every day and threatens to intrude on the perimeter zone.

Sodi however says that the structures seem very resistant; nevertheless, a restorer friend of mine says that the stone may seem strong, but is, in fact, delicate. We had to avoid damage, and closed the structures.

Vendors The corridor from the esplanade of El Castillo to the pyramids is basically a market full of vendors selling food, crafts and clothing. Within the zone itself, there are hundreds of salesmen. Sodi estimates 500; some say that the number is in the thousands during the high season at the Spring Equinox. The first big wave dates from 1987 and was somewhat under control. In 1994, an archaeologist Alfredo Barrera Rubio complained that most sales people were not locals, but non-craftsmen and middlemen selling products from Puebla, Michoacn and other places, and not from the Yucatan. Sodi and colleague Toms Prez agree that this is a phenomenon created by local people without employment. The solution lies with the INAH, the Secretariats of Tourism and Commerce, as well as the State government. Economic Inequality To designate the Pyramid of Chichn Itz as a wonder of the modern world required matching funds from a special tourism tax. The hopes of the tourism sector were reflected by Francisco Lopez Mena, president of the Council of Tourist Promotion of Mexico, when he spoke of promoting the zone as a business which required an investment of more than a million dollars. The region is also promoted by the Presidency of the Republic. Expecting to double the number of visitors until 2012, the major beneficiaries are private investors and the INAH, but not the local population. In archeologist Toms Prez estimation, the benefit is going to be minimal for the local population, and maximum for the big businesses in Cancn. Infrastructure Development The tourist infrastructure around and within the zone has grown over the years. In 1982, a first tourist inn was constructed. Five years later another complex was built that included a museum. Already in 1995, the researcher Lourdes Guadalupe Rejn Pattern filed legal complaints based on the 1972 Federal Law of Monuments and Archaeological, Artistic and Historical Zones, which restricted development in the zone. She complained that the powerful companies and foreign capital have achieved concessions to use zones supposedly restricted.

Land Ownership Part of the land in the Chichn Itz archaeological zone is privately owned, specifically by the Barbachano family, owners of the Mayaland company, one of whose hotels is practically located in the zone. One of the priorities is to regulate the land ownership. Its pure common sense to protect the development in the perimeter zone, Sodi says. He adds though that he has no problem with the Barbachano family. The Institute, by law has to defend the cultural patrimony. The only interference has been institutional, the protection of personal patrimony. He adds that the INAH is negotiating with the family to acquire the land, either through donation or by expropriation. Research Funding In spite of its world-wide fame, the archaeological zone of Chichn Itz keeps its secrets, partly because of the slow progress made by researchers since 1993. At the low season, at least four archaeologists toil in the zone, according to the project leader, archaeologist Eduardo Perez. In 1993, the federal government promised 4,800 million pesos for archaeological investigation in Chichn Itz.

The 1993 plans called for three seasons of work, to open buildings to the public, restore wood murals, stuccos and other parts in the zone, as well as to open and restore buildings that are peripheral to the main ceremonial center. Funding has not been delivered, although Sodi says that excavations have not stopped, and resources are still available. Presently, five excavation projects are underway in the zone. 47 hectares are open to the public, and one project at this time is focused on maintaining and conserving buildings, paintings and roadways. Schmidt, who first sounded the alarm about over-use of the site, works on less well-known areas like old Chichn, which should in the future allow visitors a glimpse of the lives led by the citys nobility.
http://mexfiles.wordpress.com/ http://archives.signonsandiego.com/

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TAJ MAHAL: HIGH AND LOW

The figures tell a grim story of how government agencies have been callously indifferent to the sordid tales of harassment, molestation, snatching and plain cheating that have brought a bad name to the city of the Taj which every tourist entering India wants to see. The Government Railway Police station at Agra Cantonment is still investigating at least a dozen cases involving foreign tourists on trains coming to Agra or at the railway station. A survey by Shyam Vir Singh, a researcher, shows that most victims in 2007 were those who had problems with their English. The Japanese, Koreans and even some south Indians find it hard to communicate in Hindi or in English and are often misunderstood. Being extra polite could mean acceptance of an offer to drink or spend time together, Singh explains.
MIDDlE-AGED TOuRIsTs hEAD TO InDIA Around five million foreign tourists had visited India in 2007 which was a big jump from the 3.92 million tourists during the previous year. The latest statistics prepared by the Tourism Ministry states that travellers aged 45 and above constitute 41 per cent of the total tourists visiting the country. The number of younger foreign tourists declined 10 per cent during the last 10 years. On the other hand, during the same period, middle-aged and above category of tourists registered an 11 per cent increase. Europe and the US top the list of middle-aged tourists. South East Asia and East Asia send maximum number of young tourists to the country. And in the under 14 category, it is the UAE and the US that top the list. http://www.asianp acificpost.com/

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The

Indian people all over the world were overjoyed when the Taj Mahal won its place in the list of the New Seven Wonders. The Indian government however was allegedly not as happy as the common man. Infrastructure requirements of the city of Agra where the Taj Mahal is located are far from satisfactory, and especially the numerous cases of robbed and assaulted foreign tourists also present a serious problem for the local tourism development. On average, 20,000 tourists visit the Taj Mahal every day. But comments written in the Visitors Book at the world famous monument reveal how shocked and concerned foreigners are about crime in this city. Many say they will never return while others say it was a mistake to have come. Foreign visitors have been easy targets of unscrupulous cheats and touts masquerading as guides and friendly neighborhood faces. There are reports of more than dozen cases of rape, harassment, theft and cheating last year.

The romance of the Taj Mahal, the monument of eternal love of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan for his favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal, lives on and despite all the problems and negatives, the number of tourists to Agra has continued to swell. According to the archeological department sources no sooner the Taj Mahal was included in the Seven Wonders, there was a hike in the number of tourists, both national and international. Around 3.2 million tourists turned up to see the Taj in 2007 against 2,5 million in 2006 and 2,3 million in 2005. Out of the 3,2 million 2,5 million were domestic tourist and the rest were foreign visitors. The increasing numbers of tourists however start to cause serious problems with the available resources.

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The foreign tourists arrival in 2006-07 has been highest from West Europe (33.4 percent), followed by South Asia (20.4 per cent). Whereas the UK continues to be the top source of foreign tourists, one surprise entry is China. For the first time, in 2006-07, China emerged as one of the 15 top tourists generating markets for India, with 1.4 per cent share in the total tourist arrivals. http://ankitchatur vedi.blogspot.com /

The government is thus encouraged by the media and tourism experts to step in and start to deal with the problems so that tourists have one of the most memorable and enjoyable experiences when they come to visit.
http://www.asianpacificpost.com/ http://www.liveindia.com/tajmahal/

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RECORD NUMBER OF TOURISTS VISIT PETRA

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record number of tourists visited Petra last year with arrivals topping 580,000 and encouraging the industry to introduce a range of development schemes to sustain the flow. Official figures showed a 62 per cent increase in visitors last year, up from 360,000 in 2006, which generated $13.4 million in tourism receipts for the country. Suleiman Farajat, head of the Petra Archaeological Park (PAP), said the increase in arrivals reflected the importance of Petra as a key historical attraction and its popularity as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. The increase is significant and we are working hard to ensure that the site continues to draw more visitors, with plans to improve tourist services and provisions, said Farajat. The plan, which is being devised with the support of the Ministry of Tourism, includes introducing various changes to the site, according to the PAP official. Among the changes there are eight new trails which will take visitors on different tours through the ancient city.

Attracting tourists and giving them a quality experience of Petra as a whole requires developing services both within the park and outside it, said Farajat. Having more to see and do outside the park not only enhances the tourist experience, but subsequently encourages them to spend more time in Petra, he added. Farajat also said that a range of development schemes will be implemented by PAP and the Petra Region Authority throughout the course of this year. Welcoming the increase in visitors, head of the Petra Hotel Association (PHA) Fawwaz Hasanat said that while it was an important achievement for the industry, it was not enough. Although the site draws thousands of tourists every month, the majority come on one-day tours, which do little to impact the hospitality industry in Petra and inject the area with the life and business it needs. As a tourist city, home to one of the New 7 Wonders of the World, Petra continues to be sorely underdeveloped as a tourist destination, said Hasanat. Development initiatives are slow and investments that can help boost Petras potential still lag behind, he added. New efforts are a must to address the challenges facing Petra and its growing popularity worldwide, according to the PHA official. Hasanat said he has witnessed a growing number of
JORDAn bATTlEs Gulf VIsITOR slump Jordans tourism revenues jumped 13% year on year in 2007 despite the country witnessing a decline in Arab and Gulf visitors who traditionally account for more than 50% of total visitors. According to numbers released by Jordans central bank, tourism revenues, which comprise 10% of the kingdoms GDP, jumped by 13.4% to nearly US $2.11 billion during the first 11 months of 2007, compared to approximately $1.86 billion for the same period in 2006. http://www.arabia nbusiness.com/

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H E R I TAG E : T he Ne w S e v e n Wond e rs
younger visitors to the site, which should be taken into account. The developments being planned must accommodate the needs of these visitors, such as cinemas, cafs, restaurants as well as other recreational facilities, he said. All we have today are tourist sites and hotels which are nowhere near enough to sustain the kind of visitors we are bringing in, he added. According to the official, these developments must be planned with the engagement of all tourism stakeholders in Petra as well as the Jordan Investment Board in order to attract local and foreign investments. Establishing such projects is crucial for engaging the local communities of Wadi Musa and Petra, who suffer high rates of unemployment, in productive work, added Hasanat. One area with potential for investment is a plot of land near Little Petra, which has yet to be marked by the PRA. Currently, a zoning management plan in the PAP is under way to enhance Petras attraction as a tourist destination while ensuring its sustainability from an environmental and preservation perspective.
(text shortened) By Dalya Dajani http://www.jordanembassyus.org/

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MACHU PICCHU: MORE TOURISTS, HIGHER PRICES

H E R I TAG E : T he Ne w S e v e n Wond e rs

achu Picchus selection as one of the new Seven Wonders of the modern world has led according to the Regional Directorate of Foreign Trade and Tourism to a 20 percent increase in the number of tourists visiting the Imperial city of Cusco.

Tourism Growth The citadel of Machu Picchu received an average of 1 300 tourists daily after being declared a new wonder. Said amount had not been registered for several years, which consolidates the Inca citadel as one of the tourism references in Peru. Last year, about 900 thousand tourists visited Cusco, a 20 percent rise compared to 2006, said the head of Cusco Dirce-

tur, Jean Paul Benavente. He also highlighted that at the beginning of 2007, the tourist flow to Cusco was expected to rise by ten percent, but after Machu Picchus selection as a wonder of the world, it jumped by 20 percent. Domestic tourists accounted for eight percent of this number, while foreign visitors, mainly from the United States and European countries (France, Spain, Germany and England) represented the other 12 percent.

Property Prices The entire city of Cusco cheered and celebrated when it was announced that Machu Picchu had been chosen as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. Since then, the city and its residents have been able to enjoy certain benefits, such as in-

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creased tourism and more investments in the areas infrastructure. However as a result the cost of property in Cusco city has doubled and in some cases even tripled. For example, a spacious 40-room house that belongs to Carmen Rosa del Solar has been valued at $2 million. A fair price says the proud owner, considering it is located on Mrquez Street in the historic center of Cusco. Carmen Rosa has affirmed that it is the perfect place for companies wishing to build a hotel or a shopping center. She also explained that the square meter (10 square feet) at Cuscos main square was valued at $4,000 per square meter.

The Seattle-based corporation is not the only U.S. company interested in investing in a place near one of the New 7 Wonders of the World; McDonalds and KFC have affirmed that they too are going to invest in property near the Inca Citadel. Even though real estate prices in Cusco city increased, McDonalds the worlds largest chain of fast food restaurants, has already set aside the locale where Bohemia restaurant used to be. The company is negotiating the rental of the establishment with the owners, the Transporters Association of Cusco. An inauguration date for the KFC and the McDonalds has not been announced yet but both locales are currently being remodeled.
http://www.andina.com.pe/ http://www.livinginperu.com/

Starbucks Coming Another effect of the huge increase of Machu Picchu and Cuscos popularity is the interest of international corporations. Starbucks, the largest coffeehouse company in the world, has set its sights on a locale in Cusco. The coffee and coffeehouse chain is willing to pay any price for a spot near Cusco citys main plaza.

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