NEW 7 WONDERS OF NATURE

• the world’s largest global vote

• estimated 1 billion votes!!

• over US $5bn worth of economic and promotional value

• ends 11/11/2011 (over 3 year extension)

THEY SAY == the campaign to choose and vote for seven symbols of nature

COMPETING AMONG 28 FINALISTS:

Bay of Fundy (Canada)

Black Forest (Germany) Bu Tinah Shoals (UAE) Cliffs of Moher (Ireland) Masurian Lake District (Poland) Matterhorn/Cervino (Italy /Swissland) Milford Sound (NZ) Mud Volcanoes (Azerbaijan)

El Yunque (Puerto Rico) Galapagos (Ecuadaor) Grand Canyon (USA) Great Barrier Reef (Australia) Halong Bay (Vietnam) Iguazu Falls (Brazil) Jeita Grotto (Lebanon) Jeju Island (S.Korea) Kilimanjaro (Tanzania) Komodo (Indonesia) Maldives (Maldives)

Amazon (S.America) x10 Angel Falls (Venezuela)

Table Mountain (S.Africa)

Ayers Rock (Australia)

Yushan (Chinese Tapei)

Vesuvius (Italy)

Sundarbans (India)

Puerto Princesa (Phillipines)

Dead Sea (Isreal, Jordan, Palestine)

(THEY SAY )

Benefits of winning the title

• Marketing Asset for the destination

• New perception for the country

• Can differentiate with other beach destinations

• Reinforce the image of Maldives as eco-destination

• …but, we must follow their promotional agenda !

(THEY SAY)

The “World Tour Event” – is vital • A colourful New 7 Wonders launching event with N7W air balloon

• Media coverage and press organized by New 7 Wonder and our contacts

• BUT All costs including flights, logistics to be provided by the Maldives

(THEY SAY ) “IT IS ESSENTIAL TO HAVE MINIMUM SPONSORSHIP ON BOARD BEFORE New7Wonders

CAN CONFIRM THE WORLD TOUR EVENT”

THEY SAY = Benefits of taking the sponsorship packages

STANDARD BENEFITS PACKAGE GOLD PLATINUM

1. Right to campaign for Finalist 1. Official Finalist supporter logo mark 1. Right to use in marketing 1. Right to use in advertizing 1. Right to use in promotions &

competitions

1. Right to use logo on website 1. Premium recognition on

new7wonders.com

1. Link from new7wonders.com to own website

1. Category exclusivity protection

• Take minimum “sponsorship” package of • Platinum package – US$350,000 or Gold Package – US$210,000 x2• + we pay for the “logistics” ($150,000?)• TOTAL = $500,000 +• Payment demand by July 2011

But, =Cost for the Maldives to do “World Tour Event”

Summary of options: to the Maldives from New 7 Wonders:

Option 1 – World Tour visit requires minimum sponsorship US$350,000 and “logistics costs” $150,000 TOTAL = $500,000

Timing: Must take place between April and September 2011

Option 2 – World Tour “Protocol” Visit (no sponsorship fee)

…visit to the capital city, lasting one day. A presentation of the certificate to the appropriate authority and a short press conference. The New 7 Wonder team arrives in the morning and leaves on the same day. + we pay for “logistics” approx. TOTAL = $150,000

Timing: month of October 2011.

(Option 3 ? – Possible Disqualification for “non-promotion or not obeying the rules”)

“ WHAT WAS SAID…”

(we said) “…not sure we can not meet the new financial demands?”

(..they said) “We are aware of the economic situation of the Maldives, which is why we have exclusively created for you the opportunity for the leading resorts to combine under one sponsor banner. This is not something we are offering to all our Finalists. We also understand the "dual" dynamic of the Maldivian economy (Maldivian private resorts with strong financial backing, whilst in parallel Maldivian government funds are cut and under pressure), which is why we have specifically not said that this sponsor fee must be paid by the government. We believe it is perfectly within the financial means of the leading resorts, when combined, to afford this sponsor fee (especially considering the extraordinary image, economic and marketing benefit it brings to the Maldives and therefore to their businesses)”.

(..they said) “The matter of the sponsorship has been in discussion since late 2009, (05 June2010 first time we realize the cost) ….so it should have been anticipated. Please review the previous correspondence across the past months where you will see this is mentioned regularly.

Anyway, moving forwards which is more productive, and to answer your question:- Participation in the Official New7Wonders of Nature is not conditional on sponsorship. Disqualification can happen for other reasons (non observance of rules, poor campaigning, etc).- However, you do need to have sponsors to participate fully in initiatives such as the World Tour event visit (please see the letter sent by Steffi just now), and a World Tour visit is what helps to make a significant success in the campaign (in our previous campaign for the man-made Official New 7 Wonders of the World, all the winners had highly successful World Tour event visits).

I hope this clarifies things.” Joanna N7W 22/3/11

Q? (we said) “this is a surprise to us, if we can not raise the minimum $350 000 how else can we still be included in the competition, or are we disqualified?”

(They said) “WE WILL TELL YOU HOW TO RAISE THE MONEY”

SPONSOR 1: "DHIRAAGU" or "WATANIYA", one of the two leading telephone companies;SPONSOR 2: "HOTELS AND RESORTS OF THE MALDIVES", the resorts and hotel as a combined sponsor via their association or as a joint group sponsor;SPONSOR 3: "TOUR OPERATORS OF THE MALDIVES", the tour operators association also as a combined sponsor via their association or as a joint group sponsor;SPONSOR 4: "FRIENDS OF THE MALDIVES", private wealthy individuals and outside investors who could come together as a combined "friends of Maldives" association which could then itself become a sponsor;SPONSOR 5: "MADE IN MALDIVES" a combined "made in Maldives" association, where the leading export producers/traders (e.g. tuna) can also together become a sponsor

OTHER PEOPLE’S EXPERIENCES…

Credibility of New 7 Wonders??

1. Recent email from Indonesia Tourism Ministry to usKomodo is not pulling out from the competition.Yes we did pull out become the host because the New7Wonders team want us to pay US$ 10 million for license fee and US$ 35 million for the cost of place and production as a host.Our budget for this year for Komodo only US$ 1,2 million. So you can imagine why we don't want to become a host. And when we decide not to become a host, they threat us that Komodo will pull out from the competition. So we make a huge press conference (+ 80 journalists) to tell about this threat and it works.They canceled to pull out Komodo from the competition. I think this competition is not really objective, is a business.

Cecep Ucu RakhmanInformation Center and Public RelationsMinistry of Culture and Tourism Republic of Indonesia

2nd Floor, Sapta Pesona BuildingMedan Merdeka barat Street No,17Jakarta 101110 – INDONESIA / T + 62 21 3838 131 / F + 62 21 3810 401www.budpar.go.id / www.indonesia.travel

Letter from lawyers at the Indonesia Ministry of Tourism sent February 23, 2011 in response to a attack by 7wonders in the

Jakata Globe:

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/opinion/a-lack-of-wonder-at-indonesian-tourism-ministry/422483

"On behalf of our client, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, we would like to clarify the misleading information contained in the

Feb. 14 opinion article “A Lack of Wonder at the Tourism Ministry,” written by Bernard Weber of the New7Wonders

Foundation. As this issue has now degenerated into an attack on the reputation of the ministry……”

2. UNESCO confirms that it is not involved in the "New 7 wonders of the world" campaign - Monday, July 9, 2007

http://whc.unesco.org/en/Monday, July 9, 2007In order to avoid any damaging confusion, UNESCO wishes to reaffirm that there is no link whatsoever between UNESCO's World Heritage program, which aims to protect world heritage, and the current campaign concerning "The New 7 Wonders of the World".This campaign was launched in 2000 as a private initiative by Bernard Weber, the idea being to encourage citizens around the world to select seven new wonders of the world by popular vote.Although UNESCO was invited to support this project on several occasions, the Organization decided not to collaborate with Mr. Weber.UNESCO's objective and mandate is to assist countries in identifying, protecting and preserving World Heritage. Acknowledging the sentimental or emblematic value of sites and inscribing them on a new list is not enough. Scientific criteria must be defined, the quality of candidates evaluated, and legislative and management frameworks set up. The relevant authorities must also demonstrate commitment to these frameworks as well as to permanently monitoring the state of conservation of sites. The task is one of technical conservation and political persuasion. There is also a clear educational role with respect to the sites' inherent value, the threats they face and what must be done to prevent their loss.There is no comparison between Mr Weber's mediatised campaign and the scientific and educational work resulting from the inscription of sites on UNESCO's World Heritage List*. 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

Credibility of New 7 Wonders??

Credibility of New 7 Wonders??

3. License fee = US $1,000,000 for a national telecom provider to support government in New7Wonders campaign

Later reduced to US $500,000 on appeal ?

Texting competition with profit sharing, but only if 100% of all telecom companies participate

MEGA Global Air = US $1,000,000for N7W’s logo on plane

• “They present themselves as being official”• With no affiliations from either UN or any other accredited

organization Mr. Weber and his FOR-PROFIT Swiss organization – now called as NewOpen World Foundation – consider themselves “The One” for deciding all kinds of 7 wonders.

• “Swiss or not ? I did not see the corporation name in the Swiss Commercial Register”.

• “Is there a web site that has the total vote count?”• Originally to end on 08/08/2008 ...?

5.Can you recall seeing any advertisements of New 7 Wonder of Nature ?

National Geographic TV = XBBC World news = XBBC on-line = XSky TV = XITB = XWTM = XMajor airports = XCore magazines / newspapers = XEditorial / TV coverage = X

Christ Redeemer "Cristo Redentor" (Brazil),Machu Picchu (Peru)Roman Coliseum "coliseo romano" (Italy)",Taj Mahal (India),The Great Wall "la gran muralla" (China)Petra (Jordan)Chichen Itza (Mexico)

NONE OF THE WINNERS USE THE LOGO TODAY??

6.Can you tell me any of the winners of the last “New 7Wonders” competition in 2007?

signed 05 Jan 2009

“Silent = on the cost of the joint initiatives, this was not clearly outlined prior to signing”

Discuss…