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One world and a million destinations |
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By nature gay men and lesbians are open to new adventures.
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Dear Friends, On 07/07/07 I attended the announcement ceremonies in Portugal for the new seven wonders of the world, an event organized by the Zurich-based New7Wonders Foundation. This campaign recognized places so iconic that they truly belong to the world and not just to one country or community. In a way, it felt like an Olympic opening ceremony for the travel world. I was also pleased to see that we offer tours to six of the New Seven Wonders. If you include the Pyramids that were designated as an Honorary Wonder of the World, we nearly have a grand slam of the icons of world tourism. The ceremonies concluded a six-year process that started with a panel of architects and historians selecting twenty-one of the world's most iconic sites as the finalists. More than 100 million people from around the world cast votes over the Internet and by text messaging. Hosted by Hilary Swank and actor Ben Kingsley in Lisbon's Benfica Stadium, the event included armies of singers, dancers and acrobats, as well an array of international stars, with Jennifer Lopez garnering the most attention. The event was attended by thousands of locals and a small international contingent. The evening started with the announcement of the Seven Wonders of Portugal, which had been selected by a nationwide vote. These Portuguese icons were ancient castles, monasteries and churches, and, although I had not heard of any of them at that point, it was evident that the Portuguese attendees felt great pride in their heritage. During the following week, I had a chance to visit five of the seven winners, and I could see what made each special. As the new seven wonders of the world were announced, there were times when the crowd sounded like soccer fans cheering on their favorite team. When Rio’s “Christ the Redeemer” statue was announced as one of the new seven wonders, the Portuguese roared as if they'd won the World Cup at this achievement from their former colony. The other winners were the Great Wall of China, the Colosseum in Rome, the Taj Mahal in India, the ruins of Petra in Jordan, Machu Picchu in Peru and the Chichén Itzá pyramid in Mexico. Earlier, however, as the twenty-one finalists were announced, I was a bit surprised when a small chorus of boos rose up underneath the applause at the mention of the Statue of Liberty. It was not an overwhelming expression of anti-Americanism, but it was a reminder of how recent U.S. foreign policy has tarnished the American image abroad even for our proudest symbol of liberty and openness to the world. I agreed with most of the choices, although I would have selected Cambodia’s magnificent Angkor Wat over Brazil’s “Christ the Redeemer” (perhaps its selection was helped by Brazil’s large population of text-message savvy cell phone users?) As I sat in that windy stadium in Lisbon, I also wondered about what happens next. What responsibility do we have in respect to the new seven wonders? I believe this moment can be a catalyst for us all to support UNESCO and make them truly World Heritage sites. We have a shared interest in supporting these wonders while, at the same time, preserving them for future generations. I look forward to being part of this challenge. Best regards,
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