Indonesia declines offer to host New7Wonders event on financial grounds

Wednesday, 16 February 2011

ANTARA News Agency

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia`s culture and tourism ministry has declined an offer to host the final event of New7Wonders next November 11, 2011 on financial grounds, an official said.

The organization costs would be too high, reaching around 45 million US dollars plus license fee amounting to 10 million US dollars, the culture and tourism ministry`s head of cultural and tourism resources division, I Gde Pitana, said here Wednesday.

The cost would be too high for just one event and was not worth the potential results that Indonesia would get out of it, he said.

He wondered why N7W President and Founder Bernard Weber had insisted that Indonesia should host the event.

"If Indonesia refuses, there are still 28 other countries included in (the New7Wonders) finalists (which might be asked to host it)," he said, wondering why Weber had insisted on Indonesia.

He called on the Indonesian public to have clear mind on the matter.

If the New7Wonders foundation was really bona fide, many countries would have competed in the bidding to host the N7W final event, like other international events such as FIFA World Cup, and Olympic game, he said.

Pitana suspected that the Switzerland-based N7W foundation had difficulty in finding the next host, after Indonesia turned down the offer.

According to him, the foundation apparently was not yet enjoyed international acceptance fully, unlike organizers of world events like FIFA World Cup, Olympic, Sea Games, and ASEAN Games.

Pitana, who was previously the ministry`s international marketing director, said his ministry had in the past received several offers to host an international events, such as Bollywood`s Grammy Awards, but Indonesia had turned the offers down because of financial reasons.