the anguilla heritage trail: recognizing the heritage niche and promoting sustainable tourism
DESCRIPTION
Anguilla has a wealth of pre-Columbian and historical archaeological and heritage resources. Despite heavy reliance on tourism, the Island has not developed a program for incorporating heritage within the tourism product and heritage remains a low political priority. In an effort to rectify this situation in 2009 the Anguilla Heritage Trail was conceived and implemented on the Island. The Trail identified a small number (10) of the Island’s Heritage sites which were previously unrecognized. The following paper assesses local response to the project and challenges which are both local and regional. Both challenges and solutions are identified here; the project is then used as a case study to develop future initiatives that will address local needs.TRANSCRIPT
1
The Anguilla Heritage Trail:
Recognizing the heritage niche and promoting sustainable tourism
Lilli Azevedo is a maritime archaeologist studying heritage management
at the University of Southampton’s Centre for Maritime Archaeology in
Southampton, England. She is a Jack Kent Graduate Scholar who spent
three years researching maritime cultural heritage management in the
Caribbean region while resident on Anguilla, in the British West Indies.
2
The Anguilla Heritage Trail:
Recognizing the heritage niche and promoting sustainable tourism locally
Anguilla has a wealth of pre-Columbian and historical archaeological
and heritage resources. Despite heavy reliance on tourism, the Island
has not developed a program for incorporating heritage within the
tourism product and heritage remains a low political priority. In an
effort to rectify this situation in 2009 the Anguilla Heritage Trail was
conceived and implemented on the Island. The Trail identified a small
number (10) of the Island’s Heritage sites which were previously
unrecognized. The following paper assesses local response to the
project and challenges which are both local and regional. Both
challenges and solutions are identified here; the project is then used as a
case study to develop future initiatives that will address local needs.
Keywords: Heritage Trails; Caribbean; Anguilla; Local Stewardship
Introduction
Anguilla is an island approximately 91 square kilometers in area, located at the northern
end of the collection of islands in the Caribbean called the Lesser Antilles, 300
kilometers east of Puerto Rico and 13 kilometers north of St Maarten/St Martin. Tourism
has been the main engine of economic growth in Anguilla for the past 30 years and the
government of Anguilla maintains its longstanding policy stance of low volume / high
value tourism. Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of St Martin/St Maarten by a 20-
minute ferry trip, Anguilla is pictured in tourism brochures as ‘tranquility wrapped in
blue’.
Anguilla is a coastal community of 15,000 inhabitants, sporting 33 white sand
beaches surrounded by 33,000 square miles of marine and coastal areas. The island
offers visitors outstanding opportunities to experience sun, sand and sea. Four major
hotels, Malliouhana, Cap Jaluca, CuisinArt and Viceroy are established on the west end
3
of the Island while there are more than one hundred private villas for rent throughout the
island. Although Anguilla is one of the smallest islands in the Caribbean the tourism
industry has achieved some of the region’s highest growth rates. Over the past 10 years
the tourism Industry has been characterized by sustained growth with few exceptions
namely the hurricane in November 1999 and the September 11th attacks after which the
entire region suffered declines in arrivals. Anguilla arrivals dropped by 6.7% but
recovered quickly in comparison to other destinations in the Caribbean region.
Development of Tourism in Anguilla
During the 1950s-1960s, the decolonization of the British Caribbean impacted
Anguilla. A longstanding backwater off the major trade routes, Anguillians exported
few goods. Salt and provisions including peas, corn and cassava were exported when
the climate was good, but employment was typically off-island. Since the abolition of
slavery, a small fleet had variously carried Anguillians to work phosphate mines on
Sombrero (pronounced ‘SAM-BEER-O’), cut sugar cane in Santo Domingo and man
the oil-refineries in Curaҫoa.
Colonel Bradshaw’s declaration of independence for the associated state of St
Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla in 1967 met resistance on Anguilla. Anguilla seceded from
that state in 1967 and Bradshaw bragged he would turn Anguilla into a desert and
make Anguillians eat one another’s bones. In an effort to diffuse the escalating
situation, the British government intervened and on 19 March 1969 landed 315
paratroopers or Red Devils on the Island. Welcomed by the waiting Anguillians, the
invasion force was soon followed by the Army Corps of Engineers who provided
trained experts and professionals over the following decade. In 1971, Anguilla
became a British Dependency and with England’s help, the Island created key
communication systems and the vital infrastructure for economic development.
Two guest houses, Rendezvous Bay Hotel and Lloyd’s Guest House had been
established in 1962 and the trickle of curious visitors to ‘The Little Island That
Roared’ steadily grew as tourism mushroomed in the region. While the 1950s had
seen an exodus of Anguillians to the UK and overseas to find work, the growing
tourist industry allowed many to return and find work in the construction and service
4
industry. The construction of the first large hotel, Malliouhana in 1982 ushered in an
era of unprecedented prosperity and cultural transformation.
What is cultural heritage?
By its definition, culture is constantly changing. New forms replace old forms and the
meaning of the past changes from one group to another, from one generation to the
next. Festivals and carnivals which celebrate aspects of local heritage which are
intangible may be created or changed from year to year. New traditions may replace
old ones. Culture is never destroyed. On the other hand, artefactual heritages and
some intangible forms of heritage may disappear completely. Europeans aren’t
building any more ships of discovery and Amerindians are not carving petroglphys.
Archaeological sites and artefacts are non-renewable resources. Thus, while some
forms of heritage are finite others are continually being reinvented or rediscovered.
Sometimes, especially when the local economy centers on tourism, archaeologists and
conservationists may come into conflict with stakeholders who want to develop
heritage, especially as the former may consider increased site visitation as inimical to
preservation (Sabloff 2008).
Anguilla: heritage in tourism
Anguilla’s transformations over the past 40 years include the creation of roads,
banking institutions, supermarkets, cable television and the internet. Together, they
visibly suggest to the visitor that the Island is a modern community, living in a
modern world. Underlying traditions are not obvious to the casual observer; the
absence of tangible features like sugar mills or colonial architecture that are present
on other islands reinforce the impression that Anguilla’s history begins with the 1967
revolution.
Carried on the inside and integrated into events, the Island’s pre-Revolutionary
history is at once natural and invisible to the tourist, surviving mostly in traditional
foodways or assimilated into modern celebrations. For example, the annual migration
of men from Anguilla to Santo Domingo in the nineteenth century to cut sugar cane
has been re-enacted each year since the 1940s. Today it is observed during Carnival
5
without its historic context. Other pastimes including boat racing, raising goats,
traditional cooking and fishing with their roots in Anguilla’s past create a cultural
background that is so natural that it is largely unrecognized. As long as heritage
remains unpackaged, it is unsurprising that other aspects of heritage including
archaeology and built heritage are not celebrated. The development of the Anguilla
Heritage Trail sought to demonstrate how publicly recognizing these sites could add a
valuable component to Anguilla’s tourism product, by demonstrating what
Anguillians already know and care about but is not recognized publicly. In turn, the
trail was envisioned as a first step towards protecting these resources by raising their
profile locally, demonstrating that these resources can be a tangible benefit to the
local community.
Characteristics and development of heritage tourism
Heritage tourism is ‘travel concerned with experiencing the visual and performing
arts, heritage buildings, areas, landscapes and special lifestyles, values, traditions, and
events of a place’ (Jamieson 1998). Elements of heritage tourism include natural,
cultural, and built elements (Poria 2003). Contemporary heritage tourism has risen out
of a shift in tourism paradigm. On one hand the public has become more discerning
about choosing their destination and on the other hand places dependent on tourism
have recognized there is not an unlimited demand for the tourism product (Brown and
Cave 2010). Following this acknowledgement has been a growing concern for more
careful management of heritage resources which may attract visitors (including
archaeological sites, natural landscapes, monuments and the like). ICOMOS Charter
on Cultural Tourism (1976) focuses on the dynamic interaction between tourism and
cultural heritage and the relationship between stakeholders, heritage resources and
tourism. Heritage tourism should, according to the charter,
(1) Involve host communities in planning for conservation and tourism (Principle
Four)
(2) Benefit the host community through conservation and tourism (Principle Five)
(3) Utilize significant portions of the revenues derived from tourist and programs
in heritage locations for the conservation and interpretation of those places
6
(4) Have a minimal adverse effect on the cultural heritage and lifestyles of host
communities
The heritage industry is necessarily invested with the consumption of heritage
resources, as the past is presented and sold to the public. In practice the ICOMOS
charter is an ideal rarely obtained (Daher 2000). Without a system for heritage
tourism in place, Anguilla provided a rare opportunity to develop heritage tourism
from the bottom-up with these ideals in place. Mobilizing community members at this
early stage would not only help the Anguilla Heritage Trail succeed, but hopefully
enable the community to take ownership of the resource in the future.
The dark side: commodification and packaged culture
These goals were an effort to avoid the negative aspects of heritage tourism, namely
the commodification of resources which has happened when heritage has been
developed for profit, only. This commodification has occured when heritage is voided
from the lives of a respective community (Daher). For example,
More tourists are confronting ‘packaged experiences’ where they
find themselves dealing with ‘constructed images’ and ethnicity of
the past. This results in a lack of immersion in culture and a lack
of appreciation of cultural difference, presumably the essence of
cultural tourism (Daher 2000).
The Anguilla project provided a chance to focus on the heritage which the
community chose to celebrate; to avoid the exploitation that occurs when tourism is
developed apart from the current lives of community members and when modern
ways of living are dismissed as modern or inauthentic. While recognizing the past,
the project firmly placed the Trail in the present. In some initiatives, past ways of life
have been given preference and featured even when they have little connection to the
host community. For example, projects may freeze change (living in the past) and
dismantle the link between the past and the present, alienating local populations from
their own heritage rather than giving communities a connection with the past. While
7
this is acceptable in some cases (i.e. Columbia State Park in California whose purpose
is to showcase a particular period of the state’s Gold Rush History), it should not be
the only version of culture presented by a country. When packaged experiences with
little relevance replace authentic ones, modern ways of living are ignored or divorced
from the past. Present populations are trivialized in favor of the ‘ways things used to
be’.
When communities become involved with the process and have a role in
determining how heritage is interpreted and presented, this becomes a non-issue and
the true benefits of heritage tourism are realized.
2010 Anguilla Heritage Trail Described in Context
The Anguilla Heritage Trail, designed in collaboration with multiple stakeholders
sought to avoid this outcome. The initiative, spearheaded by this author, was
conceived during the third year of her doctoral research in 2009. Having identified
nine previously unrecorded historic shipwrecks in an underwater archaeological
survey earlier that year, the Heritage Trail was initially conceived as a way to raise
awareness and overcome poor institutional memory by creating a series of permanent
markers at the Island’s historic landmarks on land. Recognizing that host
communities may reap little benefit from research-driven projects, The Anguilla
Heritage Trail was designed not only to create a permanent system for recognizing
historic sites, but also to explore how local stewardship of these sites might be
fostered.
Anguilla does not operate a designation policy for historic sites. As a result in
2009 there was no way for a visitor to recognize an eighteenth century estate, an
Amerindian settlement or where the French invaded in 1745. Currently, the Governor
of Anguilla reserves the right to designate historic sites but this is typically reserved
for extraordinary cases. For example, in 1995, an underwater area around the remains
of the 1772 Spanish shipwreck El Buen Consejo was designated as an Underwater
Archaeological Preserve. This only happened after medallions and other artefacts
were traded and sold illegally and no permanent signage was created to mark the site
on maps or on-site.Without a more involved designation process there is no
interpretation; sites, surviving historic buildings and ruins are features at best.
8
In addition many traditional buildings are not only privately owned but may be
an unpleasant reminder of inequality or slavery. Recognizing that there are a variety
of heritage sites and that not all heritages are celebrated, the project solicited
nominations of sites to be included from the public as well as non-governmental
organizations including the Anguilla National Trust and Anguilla Archaeological and
Historical Society. The final vote and decision of which sites would be included was
made by public vote.
Attitudes towards heritage/ local involvement
Understanding local attitudes towards heritage is fundamental to understanding how
a heritage tourism initiative will be perceived by the public. The interplay between
preservationists, profit-motivated businesses and the public affects how heritage will
be managed. For example, people moving to Anguilla from outside the Caribbean
have been quick to condemn Anguillians for an apparent disregard for heritage. This
is especially true when they have applied Western ideals of preservation and
protection. While Western heritage management has traditionally focused on
preserving built heritage, local heritage will more often emphasize intangible
elements including foodways, traditions, dialect or folklore. Built heritage, especially
Colonial built heritage is often considered the alien history of white slave-owning
elites. The emphasis on preserving these monuments by largely white ex-patriot
preservation societies has helped reinforce neo-colonial ideas and may be one reason
why more locals do not participate in local historical societies.
Variously warned that locals don’t care about the past and won’t give money
to support a project to promote the past, the Anguilla Heritage Trail initiative set out
to challenge these attitudes. By involving members of the community not
traditionally associated with heritage, the project moved away from the local
historical society and associated preconceptions. While members of the Society
helped the trail on an individual basis, new individuals and groups were encouraged
to become involved and take a leading role in the project.
For example, children 10-12 years old at five local primary schools were
invited to enter a competition to design a logo for the trail. A leading Anguillian, the
CEO of Anguilla Masonry Products was approached to donate the equipment and
9
material for each marker, and individual business owners were approached to sponsor
each site. The governor’s wife became involved together with individuals involved
with tourism and education. By soliciting local leadership the trail gained local
support as a community project. While it was spearheaded by a foreign researcher, the
author acted as a facilitator and the project’s public face and vocal supporters were
community leaders.
Challenges
Developing a project to recognize the Island’s heritage resources for tourism
necessitates an understanding of why heritage tourism has not developed sooner.
Anguilla, like other small island developing states, must overcome a number of
challenges which frustrate the development of a system to manage heritage resources.
For years, the local historical society on Anguilla had worked to create a trail but their
efforts were frustrated. While some of the challenges they faced are unique to
Anguilla, many are universal. They include:
(1) An island’s size and wealth: Although an island’s size does not necessarily
reflect its wealth (i.e. Bermuda is a small, yet wealthy island and Trinidad and
Tobago are a larger, poorer country), it often reflects the amount of resources
potentially available. Challenges related to size include a small population
and economy, a lack of resources, remoteness and susceptibility to natural
disasters. The high cost of communication, dependence on international trade
and costly public administration and infrastructure also affect management
(Mulongoy 2006).
(2) How the public ‘sees’ heritage and whether the local historical society
successfully engage the community in productive dialogue
(3) How exclusion from the governing process of heritage sites has alienated
locals and discouraged them from participating in their future management
(4) How differences between expatriate and local attitudes towards heritage
have shaped the management objectives and role of the historic group locally
(5) How a perceived lack of interest has discouraged efforts to engage the
community
10
(6) How heritage as a low political priority has affected the availability of
funding for heritage initiatives
(7) How missing information and knowledge of heritage resources (as would
be found in an historic environment record [HER]) leaves an open door for the
exploitation of unrecorded/unrecognized heritage resources.
(8) How in an effort to increase visitor numbers, over-development has destroyed
sites and historic environments (salt ponds, defence sites, or Amerindian
habitation areas)
(9) How an apparent lack of foresight by politicians and decision makers (who
appear to plan for the immediate gain and entrenchment of their political party
without considering the long-term consequences for the Island) has not helped
(10) How, when efforts have been made to protect and manage the historic
environment, a lack of institutional memory following the work has led to an
absence of permanent protection
(11) How insufficient legislation and a lack of knowledge of existing legislation
fail to protect archaeological and historical sites and this vacuum has
facilitated the plunder and destruction of cultural resources
(12) How management problems are not brought to the attention of authorities as
there is little infrastructure and few dedicated professionals with training in
heritage resource management locally
(13) How a lack of permanent heritage displays make local heritage inaccessible
to the general public
(14) How a lack of funding limits the resources and personnel which can be
allocated to the sustainable development of heritage resources
(15) How double standards may be reinforced by legislation which gives some
individuals and groups privileges including access to heritage over others.
This in turn helps to alienate the general public from heritage sites
(16) How misdirected enthusiasm by people can lead to the removal of artefacts
in an effort to ‘save them’ and
(17) How the removal of artefacts by treasure hunters (avocational and
professional) with disregard to local legislation results in a permanent loss of
data and permanently destroys the resource
11
Solutions: Meeting local needs and encouraging stewardship
Heritage mangers have recognized that these challenges are present in the absence of
other factors. The absence of and ineffectiveness of legislation has been a leading
explanation for the presence of these challenges. Other areas of research, education,
local stewardship and heritage tourism have also been identified as key areas for
improvement.
These solutions were incorporated into the Anguilla initiative. Research into the
sites’ history was enabled by the AAHS and volunteers who organized the available
data. Fieldwork by volunteers worked to corroborate details and insure the accuracy of
information. An eight-fold brochure outlining the history of each site together with a
map was written, edited and published as an accompanying guide and educational tool.
Local support was realized in part by voluntary assistance at meetings and a growing
network of ‘Friends of the Heritage Trail’. Donations and sponsorship of the trail by
Anguillians demonstrated strong local support. Of nearly US$10,000 cash raised, 27%
was donated by Anguillians. Including in-kind donations, Anguillians donated 60% of
the entire project’s budget (figure 1). Without this in-kind support the trail could not
have been completed.
While many sites were known or esteemed locally, none offered on-site
interpretation. For example, tourists regularly eat and drink at the Pumphouse in Sandy
Ground. Sitting on a spit of land between the salt pond and ocean, the building was
originally built to facilitate the manufacture of salt. Today, the restaurant serves a
pastiche of Angus burgers, seared tuna and traditional Planter’s Punch. One of the ten
sites chosen by the public, a plaque funded by its Anguillian proprietor now celebrates
this history: ‘The Pumphouse: The salt industry on Anguilla lasted from the 1600s until
1986. At this site salt from the adjacent pond was cleaned and prepared for export’.
The mixing of old and new, of an extinct industry with a tourist hotspot is both
appropriate and fitting. The historic designation helps to draw in a few more tourists,
edifies the visitor’s cocktail hour and serves as a living example to other Anguillians
how recognizing heritage makes economic sense.
Heritage tourism as heritage management
12
Heritage Tourism has the potential to reinforce the importance of the past and positively
challenge our relationship with the past. ‘One view is that in its search for heritage
‘products’ the tourism industry is re-enforcing the importance we attach to the past.
Another is that tourism is actively, and positively, challenging our relationships with the
past’ (Robinson 2000).
Heritage management is a way to promote tourism and sustainable concepts that
encourages preservation and the recognition of socio-economic values held locally
(Jameson and Scott-Ireton 2007). The benefits of heritage tourism can include
preservation, increased local pride in heritage resources, community continuity,
community participation, social revitalization, and community development. For this to
happen, the development of heritage resources must support community-based
approaches. Entrepreneurs and philanthropists must become involved rather than solely
profit-orientated businesses and investors. Cultural heritage must be owned and
managed by the community.
The relationship between the community and heritage tourism is potentially
mutually beneficial. Heritage tourism demonstrates the tangible benefits of heritage in
economic terms. Having an economic incentive encourages local stewardship, as more
locals are likely to ‘get on the heritage bandwagon’ once they see how using heritage
can benefit themselves. Importantly the economic incentive may be the most alluring for
local communities while other benefits are more profound. Cultural heritage has been
linked to the construction of national identity and the strengthening of local cultures
(Sabloff 2008). These are significant political issues in the region and important for
tourism as visitors to the Caribbean often cite culture as a determining factor when
choosing their destination.
Just as heritage tourism has potential to increase local awareness, heritage
protection and enrich visitors’ experience, it has an equal or greater potential to destroy
the same. Few heritage sites are suited for mass tourism; others are inaccessible,
underwater, or fragile. The selection of which sites will be developed or promoted as
heritage attractions is all-important and should not made by a sole stakeholder. Heritage
tourism is heritage management and the former must go hand-in-hand with the latter.
Developing heritage tourism ought to be a conscious decision accompanied with
planning.
13
Measuring impact
To illustrate how challenges are paired with solutions and evaluated, a chart was
created (see page 16) as it was apparent from early on that there were not only multiple
problems, but also that a single ‘magical’ solution did not exist. Visually, the chart
helps prioritize what problems are locally significant and graphically illustrates the
relationship between problems and solutions. Importantly, each problem may have
multiple solutions. For example, treasure hunting is a problem that may be in part
solved with legislation, but which also requires research, education/outreach and
stewardship; thus each solution may address different aspects of the problem.
In the y-column is a list of the problems identified on Anguilla. This list
includes problems that are both local (i.e. lack of pride in local heritage) and regional or
international. Along the top x-axis, identified solutions are listed. These solutions
which have been identified by others include research, education/outreach, stewardship,
heritage tourism, and legislation. Thus on the left side is a longer list of problems and
on the top a shorter list of solutions. Importantly, any list of problems is not exclusive.
New problems may arise over time and others may be resolved or resolve themselves.
The identification of both problems and solutions locally makes it possible to
determine areas which require maximum attention locally. It was therefore possible
when designing the initiative to understand its potential impact based on areas of
identified need.
Using the chart to determine areas of need
The chart lists problems affecting heritage management on Anguilla and
provides an answer to the kind of initiative which may be successful. ‘Areas of need’
are elucidated by tallying the marks next to each problem for every applicable solution
(research, education/outreach, heritage tourism, local stewardship, and legislation). The
result for Anguilla is that out of a total of 17 identified problems (and therefore a
possible score of 17), education/outreach (13/17) and local stewardship (14/17) scored
highest as the most acute areas of need while heritage tourism (11/17), research (10/17)
and legislation (9/17) scored lower. Assuming that solutions with the highest scores
14
represent areas least developed (because if they were more developed the identified
problems would not exist) allows a project to focus on those areas of need.
Assessing an Initiative
An initiative may therefore be assessed whether or not it addresses those ‘areas
of need’ just identified. To illustrate the degree to which a project may meet these
needs, consider two initiatives: a more traditional ‘research’ project (The 2009 Anguilla
Shipwreck Survey) and a community project (The Anguilla Heritage Trail). While the
former included public outreach in the form of lectures and school visits, it was limited
as the archaeologists (with the exception of the author) were on site during the duration
of the project only and left at the survey’s end. The Anguilla Heritage Trail was
fundamentally different as it was designed with oversight from the archaeologist but to
the guidelines of the public and a self-appointed committee that was long-term.
Each initiative is marked on the chart and this allows one to analyze whether an
initiative addressed identified problems and in turn what solutions are connected to those
problems. By the numbers, the Anguilla Heritage Trail addressed more problems than
the 2009 Shipwreck Survey (Figure 3: Problems addressed by each iniative). This is
expected as the project was not conceived as a research project but rather a community
tool. Of the problems it addressed, three solutions: education/outreach, local
stewardship and heritage tourism stand out. Conversely, the Anguilla Shipwreck Survey
which addressed ten problems emphasized research and education/outreach (Figure 2:
How effective is an initiative). Different initiatives have different emphases and all
initiatives do not address heritage management challenges equally. This is not to
suggest that one type of initiative is superior to another. Significantly, without research
and data, heritage managers would not have the data to make informed decisions about
heritage matters at all. This absence of this data was the primary reason for the 2009
Shipwreck Survey.
15Initiative Name(tick all challenges that apply)
ANGUILLA Solutions (not unique):
Problems Present (can be unique)/ Problems Initiative Addressed:
Research
Education/OutreachLocal Stewardship
Heritage TourismHeritage
Trail2009 Survey
X An island’s size and wealth X XX How the public ‘sees’ heritage X X X
XExclusion from the governing process
X X
XDifference between expatriate and native attitudes
X X
X X Perceived lack of interest in heritageX Heritage as a low political priority X X X X
X XMissing information of heritage resource
X X X X
X X Overdevelopment X X X XX X Lack of foresight X X XX X Lack of institutional memory X X X X
XInsufficient legislation and lack of knowledge of existing legislation
X X
X XFew local professionals (archaeologists, heritage managers)
X X X
X X Lack of permanent heritage displays X X X XX X Lack of funding X XX Double standards X X X
Misdirected enthusiasm X X XX Treasure hunting X X X
16
The chart above was created from the matrix by connecting the problems addressed by the 2009
Shipwreck Survey and Heritage Trail with the solutions connected to those problems. Solutions
were then awarded points if an initiative addressed a problem (out of a total 17 possible). The
resulting graph shows the strength and weaknesses of each project and provides one illustration
how a series of projects may build on each other’s success.
The larger picture: understanding regional challenges
In any single location like Anguilla, ‘areas of need’ are relative. For example, research
may be a more acute need than legislation where no record exists of the kind of resource which
might be protected. Depending on history and current economic and political situations, ‘areas
of need’ will vary. Consider the Anglophone islands of Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, St. Kitts
and Nevis, the Turks and Caicos Islands, Trinidad and Tobago and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Each
has variously recognized problems facing heritage management locally and is in a different state
of developing heritage tourism. While similar in some respects to problems identified on
Anguilla due to regional geographical and cultural similarities, there are important differences.
These reflect the Islands’ unique background and the fact that homogenizing forces of
globalization and development are not equally felt across the region. The matrix provides one
way to recognize these differences. In practical terms, this provides an outline not only for areas
which require the most attention locally, but also has the potential for creating heritage tourism
projects which positively impact the host community and improve the protection of heritage
resources.
The Anguilla Heritage Trail project recognized that there are major challenges
facing the region. Instead of focusing on these obstacles, the project challenged opinions
and worked to understand what was important to the community. The project was less
about doing something to protect heritage and more about doing something with heritage
that would benefit the community. Recognizing a range of potential problems and
17
solutions helped the trail succeed and brought recognition to sites which the people
considered important and not those that the author or a privileged group of individuals
decided to display. The result has not only showcased a unique heritage but also been a
step towards developing a sustainable heritage tourism that can be enjoyed by locals and
visitors, alike.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Brown, K. and J. Cave. (2010). Island Tourism: marketing culture and heritage – editorial introduction to the special issue. International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research. 4(2): 87-95.
Daher, R. (2000). Dismantling a community’s heritage “heritage tourism: conflict, inequality, and a search for social justice in the age of globalisation” IN Robinson, M (ed). Tourism and Heritage Relationships: Global, National and Local Perspectives. Business Education Publishers Ltd: Sunderland, England.
Jameson, J. and D. Scott Ireton. (2007). Out of the Blue: Public Interpretation of Maritime Cultural Resources. Springer: New York.
Jamieson, W. (1998). Cultural Heritage Tourism Planning and Development: Defining the Field and Its Challenges APT Bulletin: The Journal of Preservation Technology XXIX (3-4): 65-69.
Mulongoy, K., Webb, M., Ferreira, M., & Mittermeiser, C. (March 2006). The Wealth of Islands: A Global Call for Conservation. Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Poria, Y et al. (2003). The Core of Heritage Tourism. Annals of Tourism Research.
Robinson, M (ed). (2000). Tourism and Heritage Relationships: Global, National and Local Perspectives. Business Education Publishers Ltd: Sunderland, England.
Sabloff, J. (2008). Archaeology Matters: Action Archaeology in the Modern World. Left Coast Press, Walnut Creek.