Seven countries are fervently celebrating their inclusion on the new list of “Seven Natural Wonders” of the world. But is this anything more than hype? And is the organization that put it all together out for anything more than making a buck?

BUSAN, South Korea -- While people living in the seven countries recently deemed as having one of the newSeven Natural Wonders of Nature have every right to be excited, we must first remember that the list is only provisional, and that the final results will not be announced until next year – so cork the champagne and go a little easy on that headline ink, no one is an official winner yet.

Even if those “Chosen Seven” end up on the final list, what do we know about the methodology of the vote itself and the motivations of  the organization behind it, New7Wonders.com? It is a question largely absent in the media (especially in recipient countries) as the mass wave of back-patting circles the globe.

The quandary is not whether the seven finalists are worthy, but rather is there any measure of scientific validity or democratic ethics involved in the voting results? Or is it all just an elaborate money making scheme by New7wonders?

I should first mention that I lived on one of the seven provisional finalists, Jeju Island, for two months. It is afantastic place. And while it is has incredible natural beauty and you really should go, it is not --in my opinion-- moreof a wonder than say... The Galapagos Islands, The Grand Canyon, The Great Barrier Reef, Angel Falls, Yellowstone, Yosemite or the Aurora Borealis --just a few which were all  noticeably absent from the list.

No offense to the provisional winners and the countries they call home, but it looks to me that the biggest 'Wonder' to come out of all this is the abundance of hype in the seven provisional finalist's media and governments --spoon-fed and some money-bled by the group New7Wonders.

The Aurora Borealis. Sorry, not worthy.

Who is New7Wonders.com?

The four-year-old project is the brainchild of Bernard Weber, a Canadian-Swiss marketing expert. According to Weber's group, over 400 images were submitted from 220 countries, which were eventually shortlisted by a panel led by Prof. Federico Zaragoza, the former head of UNESCO.

Having Zaragoza on staff was a nice touch and added some weight to the legitmacy of the organization, but everything turns a bit shady right about there.

First of all, each country on the list was asked to cough up a $199 entrance fee. While that seems reasonable, considering the administration costs (no word on the size of the New7Wonders.com staff) the ethics of the organization quickly gets dicey.

This past May, the Maldives government withdrew from the competition after New7Wonders.com demanded a half million dollars in compensation for further promotion in the "contest."

This coming on the heels of reports in the Jakarta Globe in March that the Indonesian government was being badgered by New7Wonders.com to pay $10 million in licensing fees, and another $47 million to host the closing ceremony. Keep in mind this is before the short list was even announced.

Todung Mulya Lubis, a lawyer representing the ministry, said the Indonesian government was considering a lawsuit against New7Wonders...

Read the rest at busanhaps.com