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Post Congress Report
BERMUDA HOSTED FIRST-EVER AFRICAN DIASPORA HERITAGE TRAIL CONFERENCE

~ Bringing Nations Together to Examine Their Shared History ~

HAMILTON, BERMUDA, March 25, 2002. The Bermuda Ministry of Tourism has invited countries to come together in a groundbreaking, cross-border initiative to develop a worldwide African Diaspora Heritage Trail. With a goal to identify, conserve and promote historic sites linked with the development and progress of people of African descent, Bermuda will be hosting the first-ever African Diaspora Heritage Trail Conference from May 25 &endash; 28, 2002.

After developing its own African Diaspora Heritage Trail in Bermuda, the Government reached out to the Caribbean, North America and Africa to expand the trail to sites throughout the world. The Africa Travel Association Board and its Convocation of African Tourism Ministers recently endorsed the project.

"The transatlantic slave trade transported more than four million Africans to North America and the Caribbean over a span of nearly four centuries," stated the Hon. David H. Allen, Minister of Tourism for Bermuda. "As such, the African Diaspora left an indelible mark behind that links nations together with a common historical and cultural bond. It is through this conference that we can explore these bonds and create a trail that examines our shared history."

Government leaders, educators, industry and travel professionals have all been invited to collectively develop a historic trail of cultural richness that embodies the shared history of the African Diaspora. Speakers will include such industry leaders as Jemadari Kamara, professor Africana Studies Department, University of Massachusetts, Boston; Dr. Jay B. Haviser, Jacob Gelt Dekker Institute, Kura Hulanda Project, Curaçao; Melodye-Micere Stewart, Africalogist, consultant, Bermuda Department of Education; and Louis D'Amore, Founder and President of International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT).

The conference will combine an insightful look into the understanding and management of an African Diaspora Trail with a taste of culture and entertainment from Bermuda, the Caribbean, Africa and America. Plaques commemorating Bermuda's African Diaspora Heritage Trail sites will be unveiled during special ceremonies throughout the island. Pre-conference tours and activities are also available.

For more information on the African Diaspora Heritage Trail Conference and registration, visit www.africandiasporaheritagetrail.com or call Michelle Burrows at the Bermuda Department of Tourism at (441) 297-7981 or e-mail maburrows@gov.bm.

Conference Marketing: Gaynelle Henderson-Bailey, President of Henderson Tours Is pleased to announce that Henderson Associates, Inc., the tourism development consulting division of her company, has been contracted by Bermuda Department of Tourism to promote the conference, focusing primarily on the African American, African and Caribbean markets. Henderson Associates is the first African American agency ever appointed by the Bermuda Government to target the African American tourism market. As Tourism Minister David Allen said, a Bermuda marketing program for African Americans was "long overdue". In addition, Henderson Associates is serving as the booking agent for the conference and will assist in fostering and facilitating post-conference cross-border initiatives.
Gaynelle Henderson-Bailey, Ph.D.
President & CEO
Henderson Associates, Inc. / Henderson Travel Service
7961 Eastern Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Telephone: 301-650-5700, Fax: 301-650-5717
Email: gaynelle@hend.com