In 2007, after I learned that the government of Jordan had declared a poverty pocket in the community known as Ghor Al Mazra’a (Jordan Valley), I founded something called the Zikra Initiative, an ‘exchange tourism’ program through which city-based people can immerse themselves in the uniqueness of a rural area through workshops led by locals. It seems like we have come so far since then, and yet there is still so much to be done.

In December 2007, a global call for votes on 440 destinations in 220 countries netted a pared-down list of 77 sites, all vying for one of seven coveted spots as the New Seven Wonders of Nature. Then, on 21 July 2009, a panel of experts announced the even more select list of only 28 finalists….