“The home of the Komodo dragon will only remain in the top 10 if it is supported by all Indonesians clicking on www.new7wonders.com,” he said recently.

For the past four weeks, Komodo Island has been sitting in sixth position on a list of 28 finalists. Vietnam’s Halong Bay is first, the website showed in January. However, Komodo’s overall rank is still below seven.

The campaign to have Komodo National Park in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) named one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature began on July 21, 2009, when it was shortlisted, along with 27 other candidates, from 440 places nominated by 220 countries.

The Galapagos Islands, the Amazon jungle, Angel Falls, Jeju Island, the Dead Sea, the Grand Canyon, and Mount Kilimanjaro are also on the short list.

Indonesia’s chances of securing worldwide tourism publicity remain precarious, however, as the island has fallen to the bottom of the list of finalists several times over the last year.

In June last year, Komodo Island ranked 14 out of the 28.

Wacik said Komodo park’s position was now improving thanks to increasing support encouraged by an ongoing national campaign.

“Stronger support will be needed to make sure that it can become one of the New 7 Wonders, thus further positively affecting our tourism.”

He said it would take at least 200 million votes to ensure Komodo National Park became one of the New 7 Wonders. He added he would even ask President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to vote for Komodo.

Vice President Boediono and several ministers visited Komodo National Park late December last year to support the island, which is home to the Komodo dragon, the world’s largest lizard. The trip was part of the government’s efforts to seek more support to make sure Komodo National Park’s bid is a success.

“Komodo National Park is sure to attract more tourists, should it become one of the new seven wonders,” Wacik said.

Komodo Island attracted 36,534 tourists in 2010, a 40 percent increase from the previous year.

The Komodo dragon is endemic to Flores. The life span of this last primeval animal on earth is about 50 years. Komodo National Park spans three large islands, Komodo, Rinca and Padar, and smaller islands, covering an area of 173,300 hectares.

The national park was established in 1980 as a move to protect the Komodo dragon. There are about 2,500 Komodo dragons in the park.

The national park also protects other endangered species, including deer, wild boar, and various birds, snakes and other species. The waters surrounding Komodo Island are blessed with abundant coral reefs and a plethoria of fish species.

The New 7 Wonders of Nature organizer hopes the campaign will attract 1 billion voters. The final seven will be announced on Nov. 11, 2011.(ebf)

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