KOMODO DRAGON GOES SWIMMING IN THE UNDERGROUND RIVER

KOMODO DRAGON GOES SWIMMING IN THE UNDERGROUND RIVER
New7Wonders of Nature Finalists support each other for common goal

Zurich/Switzerland, June 24, 2010—The Philippines’ Puerto Princesa Underground River and Indonesia’s Komodo National Park are getting a boost from each other and from their neighbors. A vehement statement of support for the two Southeast Asian New7Wonders of Nature Official Finalists was issued during a meeting on efforts to promote the East ASEAN Growth Area, which includes Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, as a key tourism destination in Southeast Asia.

New7Wonders bids in line with regional tourism strategy
Leaders of the region underlined that “direct and indirect benefits shall be achieved by the member countries with the Puerto Princesa Underground River and the Komodo National Park, as inclusions to the New7Wonders of Nature, come 2011.”

The joint support also shows the increasingly strong partnership within the region for the development of tourism.

The East ASEAN Growth Area tourism industry is pursuing a Community-Based Eco Tourism development strategy to intensify partnerships among the local governments and communities, as a means for addressing rural poverty. The awareness and brand value generated for Komodo and the Puerto Princesa Underground River in the global New7Wonders of Nature campaign will result in increased nature-focused tourism—hence meshing perfectly with the Eco-Tourism strategy.

An original article on this can be found at:
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsbusiness.php?id=507774