T

he Indonesian public has been sending text messages to support the nomination of the Komodo National Park in the New7Wonders of Nature global competition, but the question remains whether any penny from the SMS voting plan will be spent on the conservation of the Komodo dragon.

The New7Wonders Foundation, organizer of the competition, has been the first to assure that no money from the text message voting campaign would go directly to the island.

The Foundation’s head of communication, Eamonn Fitzgerald, told The Jakarta Post that the value of winning the competition was based on an estimated projection of US$1 billion over five years, from significant marketing, advertising, image and branding benefits, all of which come from being endorsed as a new world wonder.

“The projection is based on an independent impact report just released by Grant Thornton, an international organization of chartered accountants and management consultants,” he said.

The Grant Thornton findings support the conclusions of an academic study by the London-based publisher Pearson, in which the economic contribution of the campaign was valued at more than $5 billion.

Voting for the New7Wonders competition began in 2007.

Abandoned by the government, which complained of having to pay a license fee for the island’s bid, the nomination campaign has recently been warmly received by citizens, with them enthusiatically voting by texting messages to a special number.

Chaired by noted environment activist Emmy Hafild and former vice president Jusuf Kalla, a group calling itself P2Komodo has led the revived campaign. It has asked private initiatives to assist with paying the license fee for the island’s bid to the Switzerland-based foundation.

Emmy said that the money raised by the group for the nomination would go directly to campaign for the island as well to paying the license fee.

University of Indonesia environmental expert Jatna Supriatna said that the park’s bid to win the global competion would undoubtedly publicize the island’s name but not the need to conserve the giant lizards.

“Nothing will change in terms of conservation if the money generated from promoting the park is only used to boost tourism. There must be a balance between promoting the island and conserving the lizards,” he said.

Jatna said that the money must also be invested for research on komodo dragons.

“I strongly suggest that future tourism development plans of the park engage both environmentalists and researchers,” he said.

Jusuf Kalla, who is also the ambassador of Komodo Island as part of the competition, told reporters that the island’s bid to win represented an effort to improve life and tourism in Nusa Tenggara.

“Nothing but heat is found on the island, even 20 years after UNESCO’s recognition of it as a natural heritage. Less than 50 people visit every day. Participating in the global vote is a good opportunity for us to attract more people,” he said.

He added that the number of visitors to the island had been gradually increasing since it had been included as one of the 28 finalists of the competition.

Kalla said that more tourists would boost the economy in East Nusa Tenggara province where the island is located.

“I dream that Nusa Tenggara will have an international airport one day. There will be many hotels there as well. This will support the province to develop,” he said.

Emmy said that P2Komodo would help develop a sustainable natural tourism on Komodo Island whether or not it won the competition.

“There are many things needed in terms of Nusa Tenggara’s development. We must preserve the environment and also conserve the animals,” she said. (msa)