Established October 1895 See inside Sunday January 26, 2020 $2 VAT Inclusive NEWBARBADOS is on the road to TOURISMCaribbean’s Top Wellness Destination “It was a year and a half ago thatBUZZ we Tourism is one of those things that we successfully positioning itself as a at the Caribbean Travel Marketplace, sat down in a strategic session and looked at. I am happy therefore that it year-round destination, and Minister of Tourism and International looked at how we can find new ways of has paid great dividends and we moved not just a sun, sea and sand winter Transport, Kerrie Symmonds is ready to trying to bring visitors across this island from getting on board to being on top.” get-away. push other travel experiences, one being and get them from simply being on the Having just been named the Genealogy Tourism. beaches. And the concept of Health TOURISM on Page 3 From left: Member of Parliament for St. Lucy, the Hon. Peter Phillips; Minister of Creative Economy, Culture and Sports, the Hon. John King; and Minister of Tourism and International Transport, the Hon. Kerrie Symmonds having a light moment during the launch of We Gatherin’ Barbados 2020 Heritage Connection Centres and Genealogy Marketplace at St. Lucy Parish Church, yesterday. World Heritage Site designation at risk By Jenique Belgrave change how Bridgetown looks He accused the powers that be of not have its designation removed. entirely – the height and scale of it- putting real thought into what was “They took one away from Germany, BRIDGETOWN and the Historic and a lot of the historical structures being done due to the country’s need for but little Barbados feels we can do Garrison’s UNESCO World Heritage are now going to look like little Lego finances. whatever we want and keep it, but we Site designation is increasingly being blocks at the bottom of huge towers In an interview with The Barbados are definitely at risk of losing it, if put at risk due to the destruction of and there is no real thought going Advocate yesterday that unless better things continue the way they have historical buildings and sites. into it,” said President of the care was taken, this island could be been,” Stevens asserted. “A number of proposals that are Barbados National Trust Peter Stevens placed in the “embarrassing” position of bubbling to the surface are going to stressed. being the fourth country in the world to AT RISK on Page 5 2 • Sunday January 26, 2020 The Barbados Advocate The Barbados Advocate Sunday January 26, 2020 • 3 UK-funded Digital Media Training Workshop, to be replicated across C’bean JOURNALISTS and other media other media professionals, has noted that practitioners from Barbados, Guyana the Digital Media Training Workshop will and Dominica recently completed a be replicated in Antigua and Barbuda, two-day UK-funded Digital Media Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, as Training Workshop on location here well as in St.Vincent and the Grenadines. at the British High Commission and The British High Commission meanwhile now, that training workshop will be notes that these efforts coincide with the replicated across the Caribbean. opening of new UK offices in Antigua and The training was delivered by Barbuda, Grenada and St. Vincent and Multimedia Trainer and Mobile Journalism Specialist, Dan Mason. Multimedia Trainer and Mobile the Grenadines, so that the United Journalism Specialist, Dan Mason. Held Kingdom (UK) can continue to build on “Change Your Story is about learning about the skills, but it is about the under the theme “Change Your Story”,the opportunities, to foster new relations with new skills, about telling stories in different journalists and the communication comprehensive workshops were designed key regional contacts. ways that make a positive benefit to your professionals in the Eastern Caribbean to improve the digital media capabilities Speaking with The Barbados Advocate community,but for me this project is about forming a network,” Mason told this of participants and encourage a solutions- following the training sessions in something else. It is so unique, that the newspaper. based approach to journalism. The hands Barbados, Mason meanwhile noted that other Eastern Caribbean countries are Pointing out that the “Change Your on sessions were particularly focused on not only would media professionals be able joining us on those islands. So in a short Story” Digital Media Training has its roots creating multimedia content, using mobile to benefit from the training to change the space of time, it is a fantastic way to create planted back in Nigeria where it got devices. way they approach story-telling, but they a network of journalists, who all have the started a few years ago, he noted that it Mason, who will be travelling across the will be able to form a network, from which opportunity to collaborate. So for me, it’s has since blossomed to the point where Eastern Caribbean to deliver training to they can draw support going forward. not just about the story telling, it’s not just training has been conducted in four cities for 25 journalists in each of these cities and beyond. Mason has meanwhile placed on record his gratitude to the British High Commission, for providing such an opportunity to transfer his knowledge to media professionals here in Barbados and he says that the feedback he receives, will allow him to enhance the training for others across the region. “The (British) High Commission to Barbados has been fantastic in putting together this unique process that will benefit six countries in the Eastern Caribbean. So for the first time, as far as I know anywhere, we have got in a very short space of time, journalists and communication professionals coming together not only to look at new ways of telling stories and learning new skills, but joining together in ways that they can network and collaborate. So it’s a really unique project and I am really privileged and proud to be leading it,” Mason told this Journalists and other media practitioners, as they participated in day two of the UK-funded Digital Media Training newspaper. Workshop, on location at the British High Commission here in Barbados. (RSM) ‘Take advantage of free opportunities to trace your roots’ TOURISM from Front Page participants in every aspect of Barbados’ will now take place as part of the ‘We Islands settling right here on these tourism year-round… And that allows Gatherin’ initiative starting in St. Lucy shores; Persons from North America who “But, I am equally happy about the therefore for our visitors to be and continuing in each parish, with the were so captivated by our 166 square opportunities that are presented by encouraged to come here not just final one to be held in November within miles that they decided to make it their Genealogy Tourism, which is really a because they see Barbados as a warm the parish of St. Michael. permanent home or even second home.” critical component of what we are going weather getaway, but come to Barbados Minister of Creative Economy, Culture “Barbados has a long and a strong to need to be doing in order to transform to experience the magic and intrigue and and Sports, John King urged patrons to connection with those in the Carolinas Barbados’ tourism experience for the the opportunities of this island on a year- take advantage of these free linked directly to our bustling sugar cane future,” he pointed out during the official round basis. And to get them to do that opportunities to trace their roots. trade back in the day and we all know launch of the We Gatherin’ Barbados therefore we have to be offering them a He said that from the Babbs in St. that often when there is emigration or 2020 Heritage Connection Centres and menu of new options, and Genealogy Lucy to the Haynes in St. John, each and immigration, there is usually Genealogy Marketplace at St. Lucy Tourism is one of those new options,” every last name reveals a little piece of procreation,” King said. Parish Church, yesterday. Symmonds said. the puzzle that is your life. Member of Parliament for St. Lucy, According to the Tourism Minister, The Genealogy Marketplace was “For many years our ancestors have Peter Phillips commended the “There is no part of the world that you conceptualised in 2015 by the Archives been travelling across the world and marketplace held in association with the can find the major economic provider Department as a part of the celebrations usually the piece left behind is the name, Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. and being the fuel of the economy for only of the Fiftieth Anniversary of Barbados’ whether imported or exported,” he Barbados Archives Department. seven to nine months of the year.” Independence. Shortly thereafter, the indicated. “This event gives opportunity to our He therefore stressed the need to then Barbados Tourism Product “Names tell the story of Barbadians small business persons, entrepreneurs, realistically assess “what we are doing, Authority came on board using this journeying to Panama to seek out a agencies to show off and show Barbados and how we have been doing it", and platform to develop a new niche market better life and starting families. They and the rest of the world what we have make a conscientious effort to remove of Genealogy Tourism. tell the stories of persons travelling to to offer... I trust that the experience here the trough period from tourism. Subsequently, five Genealogy Brazil. The stories of the British coming in St. Lucy today, will be beneficial to “So, that we can have a relatively Marketplaces have been held with great to Barbados and having families; those participating as this is a grand stable and level playing field for all success.