Barbadians at home and abroad have been encouraged to use We Gatherin’ 2020 as an opportunity to become reacquainted with their island.
Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Kerrie Symmonds, made this call during the Mount Gay Rum Distilleries Open Day at the rum factory in St. Lucy last Saturday.
The Open Day was one of the highlights of the We Gatherin’ 2020 calendar of events for the parish of St. Lucy, and several persons toured the estate and distillery.
During the event, Mount Gay donated $20,000 to the St. Lucy District Hospital, leading the way in the We Gatherin’ 2020 Philanthropic Drive, and gave visitors the opportunity to plant several fruit trees on its property as part of the We Plantin’ More Than a Million National Tree Planting Project.
After thanking the Executive Director, Raphael Grisoni, and the staff of the distillery for the donation, Minister Symmonds described the plantation as “lush and picturesque” and praised Brand Ambassador Chesterfield Browne for bringing “personality and authenticity” to the tour.
He said: “Tours of this nature are readily available across Barbados…. If there is one thing I want Barbadians to do this year is to use the opportunity of We Gatherin’ 2020 to re-familiarize ourselves with all of the hidden gems, treasures and secrets to be found in each and every parish of this country.
“In this little island, there are thousands of untold stories, and if we as Barbadians do that which visitors have been availing themselves of, which is to come out and not stay home and say Barbados is boring … but bring out the family; come out and experience these types of events and educational opportunities, then I think that We Gatherin’ 2020 would have to be a success.”
The Tourism Minister also stressed that We Gatherin’ 2020 is more than a “tourism thing”. He said as activities move from parish to parish throughout the year, entrepreneurs, small business owners, sportspersons and cultural practitioners would get the opportunity to showcase their offerings, skills and talents.
“Barbadians owe it to themselves to support that wide cross section of Barbadian people, who by their daily living, help to contribute to the experience of this country. I want, as we begin here in St. Lucy, as part of the We Gatherin’ exercise, to urge that that be part of the process, so it is not just a tourism thing, but it is a Barbadian thing, and remember at all times that the visitors to this island like to do the things that Barbadians are doing and be part of what Barbadians are doing,” Minister Symmonds emphasized.
To find out more about the We Gatherin’ 2020 activities, persons may view the calendar at www.wegatherinbarbados.com.