BARBADOS TO HOST 8TH ANNUAL AFRICAN DIASPORA HERITAGE TRAIL CONFERENCE
TORONTO (July 31, 2012) – Barbados is set to host the 8th Annual African Diaspora Heritage Trail (ADHT) Conference from September 17 to 19, 2012. Hundreds of visitors from around the world will meet in Barbados to discuss “Our Heritage, Our Identity: Uncover, Recover, Discover,” the theme of this year’s conference. The conference will bring renewed focus to the rich histories of the African Diaspora and provide fresh insights in to the ever-expanding cultural heritage tourism market.
Barbados’ commitment to the rich histories and heritage of the African Diaspora is longstanding. Efforts in this regard have culminated in the development of the Barbados Slave Route Heritage Trail – Freedom Footprints: The Barbados Story and in the recent inscription of Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison to the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage List.
“Heritage and culture is a growing niche in the tourism offering of Barbados,” said Cheryl Carter, Senior Business Development Manager for the Barbados Tourism Authority in Canada. “Canadian visitors have always looked to experience our culture and history while visiting our island and we are pleased that there are ever-expanding opportunities for them to do so.”
Conference participants will be able to experience the Freedom Footprints Trail and Tour. This trail visits signed sites and places of memory related to slavery and the slave trade. The tour commences at the Barbados Museum and Historical Society with a short tour of select galleries before proceeding to the site of ‘The Cage’, at Heroes Square in Bridgetown. The tour continues on to Bourne’s Land and the Newton Slave Burial Ground then across the island to Sweet Bottom, St. George and Gun Hill Signal station.
The recently inscribed UNESCO World Heritage property, Historic Bridgetown and Its Garrison, is another example of the rich historic offering in Barbados. As the easternmost island in the Caribbean, Bridgetown played an important role in the growth of the British Empire, not only as a colony, but as a projection of power for the British military in the Atlantic World and a trade hub in the region. Historic Bridgetown and Its Garrison contains listed sites and buildings that speak to the development of a town of medieval design into a major port town and garrison with significant civic, commercial and military buildings in the West Indies.
More information about the African Diaspora Heritage Trail Conference and travel packages is available at www.adhtBarbados.com.
Getting there:
Air Canada currently provides daily direct service to Barbados from Toronto with two additional direct flights from Montreal over the winter months. For further information and flight promotions, visit www.aircanada.com.
WestJet makes it both easy and affordable to get to Barbados, offering non-stop flights from Toronto five times a week. Ticket information is available at www.westjet.com.
About Barbados
The island of Barbados offers the most authentic Caribbean experience with its exceptionally rich culture and history rooted in remarkable landscapes. Rated as one of the world’s sexiest beaches in 2008 by Concierge.com; Barbados’ Crane Beach in St. Philip stands as a premier destination for travelers. Barbados is also the first Zagat-rated Caribbean island with numerous internationally renowned chefs who masterfully put signature spins on local delicacies and traditions. Barbados is an ideal stage for world-class events and in collaboration with American Express Publishing Corporation, Barbados has hosted its first annual Barbados Food & Wine and Rum Festival in November 2010. The country has also hosted numerous athletic championships, including the 2006 PGA World Golf Championships-Barbados World Cup, the ICC Cricket World Cup Finals in 2007, the Sentebale Charity Polo match with Prince Harry of Wales in 2010, and the ICC Twenty20 Cricket Finals for 2010. Accommodations range from picturesque plantation houses and villas, to quaint bed and breakfasts and award-winning, five-star resorts. The newly renovated Grantley Adams International Airport accommodates non-stop and direct service from Toronto daily on Air Canada with 9 times weekly in the winter and 2 flights weekly out of Montreal. WestJet commenced service November 2, 2009 with 5 flights weekly via Toronto. Barbados was voted eighth in the World by Trip Advisor’s ‘2008 Travelers Choice Destination Awards’ in its Top 100 Destinations category. For more information on travel to Barbados, visit www.visitbarbados.org, follow on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/VisitBarbados, via Twitter @Barbados or contact the Barbados Tourism Authority at 1.800.268.9122.