LOS ANGELES, Nov. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/
-- VirtualTourist.com, a leading travel research website and
community that is part of TripAdvisor Media Group, announced today
that after more than five million worldwide votes, Turismo Chile's
entry of Torres del Paine National Park has been named the
"8th Wonder of the World."
Earlier this year, VirtualTourist declared it was on the hunt to
identify the 8th Wonder of the World through site
visitor votes. Torres del Paine, a
UNESCO Biosphere Reserve known for its lakes, glaciers, waterfalls
and granite towers, was chosen out of more than 300 entries from
over 50 countries.
"VirtualTourist members and site visitors are some of the most
well-traveled people. We knew we could tap into their
knowledge to select the 8th Wonder of the World," said
Kimberly Stirdivant Wason, head of
pr and marketing for VirtualTourist. "With its awe-inspiring
physical attributes and breathtaking landscapes, it's no wonder our
site visitors named Torres del Paine
the winner."
Formed approximately, 145 to 66 million years ago, Torres del
Paine National Park in Chilean Patagonia occupies 935 square miles
(2,442 square kilometers) and is well known for its beautiful
mountain peaks with its highest point reaching 9,462 feet (2,884
meters).
Chilean-born actor Cristian de la
Fuente made the announcement on Los Angeles's top morning show "Good Day
L.A." De la Fuente, who recently appeared on ABC's "Dancing
with the Stars" and "Private Practice" and was born and raised in
Chile's capital, Santiago, says Torres
del Paine is a place where you can lose yourself.
"Chilean Patagonia is an amazing area of unlimited and unspoiled
nature. Whether on foot or by car, one of the most impressive
destinations this region has to offer is Torres del Paine."
Torres del Paine has become known
as a hikers' paradise where visitors can traverse through a remote
environment unlike any other. This last year, the national park
received 15 percent more visitors than previous years with more
than 139,000 trekkers.
"We always believed Torres del
Paine had the natural qualities to become the 8th
Wonder of the World due to its exceptional beauty and its
breathtaking landscapes," said Chile Secretary of Tourism Daniel Pardo. "Being named the
8th Wonder by VirtualTourist, one of the most respected
names in travel, we hope will bring even more adventure seekers out
to Torres del Paine to experience
its unique splendor."
El Salvador's Santa Ana Volcano and Lake Coatepeque, Colombia's
Coffee Cultural Landscape, Guatemala's Tikal National Park,
Slovenia's Skocjan Caves, Mexico's Copper Canyon, Scotland's
Dunnottar Castle, Belize's Great Blue Hole, Curacao's Queen Emma
Bridge and Croatia's Old Town Dubrovnik are the other landmarks
receiving the most votes to make up the top ten.
To see the complete list or for more information, visit
www.virtualtourist.com/8thwonder. To learn more about
Chile's Torres del Paine, visit www.chile.travel/en.
About VirtualTourist.com
VirtualTourist.com® is one of
the largest online travel communities in the world and a premier
resource for travelers seeking an insider perspective. Boasting
close to 2 million travel reviews and over 4 million photos of
61,000 destinations worldwide from 1.3 million members,
VirtualTourist (http://www.virtualtourist.com) attracts 8 million
unique visitors per month. Unbiased, respected, insider advice on
Hotels, Things to Do, Transportation, Favorites and more is posted
entirely by VirtualTourist's membership from more than 220
countries and territories. Virtual Tourist is a subsidiary of
TripAdvisor, Inc.
About TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor® is the world's largest travel site*,
enabling travelers to plan and have the perfect trip. TripAdvisor
offers trusted advice from real travelers and a wide variety of
travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking
tools. TripAdvisor branded sites make up the largest travel
community in the world, with more than 260 million unique monthly
visitors**, and more than 125 million reviews and opinions covering
more than 3.1 million accommodations, restaurants and attractions.
The sites operate in 34 countries worldwide, including China under daodao.com. TripAdvisor also
includes TripAdvisor for Business, a dedicated division that
provides the tourism industry access to millions of monthly
TripAdvisor visitors.
TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP) manages and operates websites
under 21 other travel media brands: www.airfarewatchdog.com,
www.bookingbuddy.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.everytrail.com,
www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.gateguru.com,
www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.holidaywatchdog.com,
www.independenttraveler.com, www.jetsetter.com,
www.niumba.com, www.onetime.com, www.oyster.com,
www.seatguru.com, www.smartertravel.com,
www.tingo.com, www.travelpod.com, www.virtualtourist.com,
www.whereivebeen.com, and www.kuxun.cn.
*Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites,
worldwide, June 2013
**Source: Google Analytics, worldwide data, July 2013
©2013 TripAdvisor, Inc. All rights reserved.
SOURCE VirtualTourist.com
