Minister: Sharper focus coming on heritage tourism

by David Hinkson

As Barbados celebrates Heritage Month, Government has announced plans to take the whole matter of preserving the island’s historical sites and infrastructure more seriously, including offering incentives to those who make a determined effort in this regard.

Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Senator Shantal Munro-Knight, told the audience gathered at the Nidhe Israel Synagogue in Bridgetown at the launch of the month of activities that “In the wake of Barbados transforming to a parliamentary republic, heritage has become part of our effort to develop an identity for ourselves, and as such, will be an important element of the island’s future.”

She stated that the synagogue was a prime example of Barbados’ heritage that had been preserved for future generations.

“This building is the oldest of its kind in the Western Hemisphere, and at one time was marked for demolition.

Now, it is an example of a restoration project that takes into consideration the history and architecture of the landscape, and so far it is the only project that has made use of the concessions granted under the Cultural Industries Development Act.

And going forward, as we seek to build a culture of restoration and conservation in Barbados, we will be introducing an annual award for restoration.”

The Minister also spoke about the ongoing efforts to revitalise the City of Bridgetown, which along with the Garrison Historic Area became a UNESCO World Heritage Site a decade ago.

“The Golden Square Freedom Park is one element of this, and is becoming a popular venue among Barbadians. We have the Fairchild Street Market redevelopment project taking place and Phase Three of the Careenage Redevelopment is under way.

Since Bridgetown lies below sea level and is prone to flooding, we have done some drainage work and the Coastal Zone Management Unit is also carrying out some research on how to mitigate flooding.”

There are also some major plans coming for the island’s main towns.

“Carlisle Bay will become a marine protected area; we are going to make Bridgetown a smart and creative city; Speightstown will become a heritage, culinary and artistic centre; in Holetown we will focus on entertainment and tourism, and Oistins will be seen as the epicentre of the island’s fishing industry.”

Beyond that, Barbados will develop a number of initiatives highlighting the historical and contemporary impact of slavery on the island.

“We are presently developing a memorial at the Newton Slave Burial Ground, which we plan to nominate as a World Heritage Site once completed, highlighting the island’s role in sugar and rum production, and we will also make a determined effort to preserve the artifacts housed at the Barbados Archives Department, said to be the second largest collection of materials related to the slave trade in the world.”

She also announced plans for a revised history syllabus for the island’s primary and secondary schools.

“The Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational training is working with the University of the West Indies’ History Department that will teach history in a more meaningful and interactive way.”

“The Division of Culture has launched a committee to oversee the World Heritage Site elements, and we are developing a national register of historic places in Barbados and are working towards strengthening the collection of data on the island’s heritage.”