Minister of Youth, Family and Sports, Esther Byer Suckoo, in conversation with Bob Verdun (left), a participant of the workshop and Professor Henry Fraser, who delivered a presentation on "Bridgetown and its Garrison as a World Heritage Site".
The 2nd Annual Regional Workshop on Heritage Tourism, which ended today at the Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Cave Hill Campus, has been described by Minister of Youth, Family and Sports, Esther Byer Sukoo, as timely.
Speaking at a cocktail reception for workshop participants yesterday, the Minister said: “This workshop is timely as we face challenging times ahead due to the global financial crisis and the need to examine how we diversify our economies in the Caribbean.”
She underscored the importance of tourism to the economic development of the Caribbean and noted: “In seeking to enhance our tourism product offering we should provide diverse services and new experiences for our visitors. Certainly in the ministry we are also aware of the role that sports must play, not only in tourism, but in heritage tourism as well.”
Over 70 young people from the Hospitality Institute of the Barbados Community College and the UWI also participated in the workshop, which also saw cultural presentations, including excerpts of literary work, performed by Dystra Brown, Ayesha Gibson, Alison Sealy-Smith and Tony Thompson in a tribute to late authors Jeanette Layne- Clarke and Timothy Callender.