The four-year long competition to name the seven wonders of the natural world has run into controversy after governments accused the organisers of asking for millions of dollars in marketing costs, reports the UK’s Guardian newspaper.
The New7Wonders of Nature poll, its organisers claim, has attracted millions of voters choosing the final seven from a shortlist of 28 natural landscapes which include the Great Barrier Reef, the Amazonian rainforest and the Maldives.
After initially paying a registration fee of $199 (£125) to enter, each country was then asked to take part in a high-profile global marketing campaign that included a world tour.
In May, the Maldives government moved to withdraw from the competition after receiving a “surprise” demand for half a million dollars. They were followed in August by the Indonesian government, representing Komodo Island national park, who said the organisers wanted $10m dollars in licensing fees and $47m dollars to host the closing ceremony.
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