The Switzerland-Based New seven Wonders Foundation has officially confirmed Table Mountain in Cape Town as one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature, it was announced here on Thursday.

Table Mountain won the accolate following three years of intense campaigning in a contest that drew more than 100 million votes from 220 countries worldwide.

The mountain is put on the 5th place on the list which also includes Halong Bay of Vietnam, Iguazu Falls of Argentina and Brazil, Jeju Island of South Korea and Puerto Princesa Underground River of the Philippines. The Amazon Rain Forest of Brazil and Komodo National Park of Indonesia remain on the provisional list.

Table Mountain was provisionally named one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature in November last year. Since then, visitor numbers to the site has reached record numbers, according to the Table Mountain official supporters committee (OSC).

"We expect the official confirmation to further boost visitor interest locally and abroad," said Lehmann.

"I am very grateful to the people of Cape Town, South Africa and the entire African content for making this wonderful news possible," said Lehmann

Bernard Weber, Founder-President of New Seven Wonders, said it was of great significance that Table Mountain was chosen by voters globally to be the representative of Africa's unique natural heritage.

"Along with possessing a biodiversity that is exceptionally important, given its proximity to a major city, Table Mountain is notable for the historic role it played in helping (former South African) Nelson Mandela cope with his long years of imprisonment," said Weber.

"Through the bars of his cell on Robben Island, the sight of the peak with its table cloth of cloud offered him hope of brighter days to come, and the statement issued by the Nelson Mandela Center of Memory on Nov. 8 last year supporting the call to vote for Table Mountain was both an endorsement of the South African finalist and a tribute to its ability to inspire."

A total of 261 landmarks in countries all over the world joined the competition for the New Seven Wonders of Nature, organized by the New Open World Corporation (NOWC) in Switzerland. A panel of experts chose the finalists among the 77 nominees that gained the most votes in an early round of polling.

The New Seven Wonders of Nature were chosen depending on geographical balance, diversity and the importance to human life. It is estimated that if Cape Town becomes one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature, Cape Town will see a surge of tourism by 20 percent. "South Africa will gain an additional 108,000 international tourists a year due to the increased exposure of Table Mountain as a New Seven Wonder," said local accounting firm Grant Thornton spokesperson Martin Jansen van Vuuren. "The value of this tourism increase is estimated to be approximately 1.4 billion rand (about 180 million U.S. dollars) per year for the first five years following the inclusion." Table Mountain is home to more than 2, 200 plant species, and houses the highest concentration of threatened species in any comparable geographic area.