Komodo sees immediate gains from its New7Wonders of Nature status

The Komodo dragon is the world's largest lizard, and can grow to three metres long. On the small Eastern Indonesian islands where it is found, the dragons can kill animals far larger than themselves, including water buffalo, pigs and Timor deer. The evolutionary development of the carnivorous lizards began with the Varanus genus, which originated in Asia about 40 million years ago.

Following its successful campaign to be elected as one of the New7Wonders of Nature, Indonesia’s Komodo National Park in East Nusa Tenggara has seen a significant upsurge in tourism, with 40,000 visitors recorded in the first quarter of this year.
“The increase is related to the new status,” East Nusa Tenggara Tourism, Art and Culture Agency head Abraham Klakik, told The Jakarta Post. “The local administration is upbeat that the number will increase in the second semester,” he added.
To meet its targets, the regional administration aims to expand the local infrastructure, including the airport, restaurants and hotels.
Meanwhile, The Jarkarta Globe reports that Indonesia’s Vice President Boediono compared the country’s thriving economy to the famous Komodo dragon. “It is meant to characterize an economy that is resilient, buoyant and surprisingly agile,’ he said of the dragon in his keynote speech at the Wharton Alumni Forum 2012, “But yes, the Komodo also bites,” he added.

With some rather well-fed Komodo dragons warming themselves under the hot sun, Bernard Weber, founder and President of New7Wonders, handed over the official Komodo New7Wonders of Nature Certificate of Participation to the Head of Komodo National Park, and Jusuf Kalla, former Vice President of Indonesia.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Vietnam’s Halong Bay had benefitted from the New7Wonders effect in the form of a rise in cruise visitor numbers, and the Great Wall of China experienced record visitor growth since being voted one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.