Africa Travel Magazine Congress Edition will feature African Diaspora Heritage Trail and the Bermuda' Connection Pan African-Caribbean Conference on Air Transportation ATA's PARTNERS IN TOURISM T.I.E.S. WTO ASTA ARTA USTOA RETOSA SATH GATTO

The African Diaspora Heritage Trail Conference will take place in Bermuda May 25-28, 2002.
The Ministry of Tourism will host the conference at the Fairmont Southampton Princess Hotel.

The Bermuda Department of Tourism has proposed the concept of the African Diaspora Heritage Trail as a unified cross border cultural tourism initiative to educate visitors,enhance the economic viability of African Diaspora countries and conserve the essence of African descent culture and history. This cross border tourism initiative will build long term relationships between Bermuda, the Caribbean, the African nations and North America.

The African Diaspora Heritage trail was launched as a self-guided tour in Bermuda in Spring 2001. The Trail embraces heritage sites and activities linking 500 years of history of people of African descent. The project was endorsed as a cross border tourism initiative by the African Travel Association at its World Travel Congress in Cape Town in May 2001. The Bermuda Government has offered the country as the meeting place to foster the facilitation of the concept in other African Diaspora countries. The theme of this conference, "Tourism unites nations through Peace, Culture and Heritage,' will explore the historical significance of the African Diaspora Heritage Trail as is intended to educate and promote the rich heritage of people of African descent.

Bermuda's President Hon. Jennifer Smith (above) and Hon. David Allen, MP of Bermuda Tourism (right) introduced the program at the ATA 26th International Congress in Cape Town, SA.

The African Diaspora Heritage Trail: A project of the Bermuda Ministry of Tourism

People of African descent, whether in Bermuda, the Caribbean or the U.S. are, of course all descendants of the African Diaspora propelled by the advent of transatlantic slavery. All of these strands bind us together with a common history and a common heritage. The latest research into historical archives indicates that these strands may we'll have first come together during events that are also linked with the discovery by (and later the settlement) of Bermuda in the early 1500s

Recent research into documents at the Royal Archives in Seville has revealed that discoverer of Bermuda, the Spanish navigator Juan de Bermuda, had over a dozen African slaves on board his ship. No earlier record of African slaves being transported across the Atlantic to the Western Hemisphere has to date been found.

Tracing the progress of peoples of African descent
Bermuda has developed the Africa Diaspora Heritage Trail to identify, conserve and promote historic sites linked with the development and progress of people of African descent in Bermuda, and to market tourism activities related to these sites in the international marketplace.

Bermuda is maximizing the yield from tourism by targeting discerning visitors looking for more enriching travel experiences. Many are particularly interested in cultural experiences which familiarize them with the history, heritage and people of the country they are visiting. It is important that we offer these visitors unique and high quality experiences that go far beyond the usual "sun, surf and sand" experience.

For some years now, it has been generally recognized that there is a growing interest among persons of African descent in tracing the ancestry, or "roots". Indeed, the phenomenal success of author Alex Haley's, "Roots", was directly attributed to this.

This has also led to growing interest in visiting countries from whence these roots had first sprung, notably those in West Africa. It is also a fact that many African-Americans have had an interest in visiting Bermuda and the Caribbean because of cultural and ethnic affinity. However the African Diaspora Heritage Trail will intrigue potential visitors of any background, and assist conversion of that interest into actual travel bookings.

A unified culture, history and heritage
Historic or cultural "trails" which link common historical or cultural experiences have enjoyed great success as tourism marketing vehicles elsewhere in the world. Experience has shown that many visitors will go out of their way to visit sites so designated and particularly those that form part of a overall theme . Experience has shown that many visitors will go out of their way to visit sites so designated and particularly those that form part of an overall theme or trail. Such trails serve to focus attention on specific sites and unified culture, history or heritage

Pan African-Caribbean Conference
on Air Transportation 2002

Presented in Cooperation with the
U.S Department of Transportation

What: Pan African-Caribbean Conference based in Atlanta

Why: Purpose is "To increase air carrier service to and between Pan African nations (Africa and the Caribbean"

Benefit: A sustained and successful attempt to increase air service to and between Pan African nations will sere as a catalyst for trade development in those region, benefiting not only Africa and the Caribbean, but their trading partners and in particular, the air transportation industry

When: April 8-11, 2002

Where: Westin Atlanta Airport, Atlanta, GA