Virgin Gorda gets a history manual

A new historical manual aimed at helping tourism workers engage visitors was launched last month on Virgin Gorda.

Officials unveiled the publication on Dec. 4 at the Rock Café by Pusser’s during a ceremony hosted by the BVI Tourist Board and Film Commission.

The Virgin Gorda Historical Manual was developed as a practical reference tool offering historical background, cultural context and place-based information about the island, according to the BVITB, which did not respond to a request for a copy.

The manual is designed for hospitality workers, tour operators, taxi drivers and other frontline staff who interact with visitors.

Ceremony host Sophia Rubaine-Brooks, the training and standards officer at the BVITBFC, said these workers play a key role in telling a history that is “woven into every landscape, every tradition and every community” on Virgin Gorda, according to a BVITBFC press release.

Contributors

During the launch, three contributors were recognised for helping shape the publication: Andy Flax, Rose Gardener and Iris Leonel Harrigan.

Organisers said their firsthand knowledge ensured the guide reflects Virgin Gorda’s heritage accurately and respectfully.

Lead researcher Angel Smith described the research process as challenging and rewarding, noting that the island’s history proved more complex than expected.

He added that Virgin Gorda is a “rough gem” with untapped value in its cultural and historical heritage, according to the BVITBFC.

BVITBFC Chair Delma Maduro said the manual will strengthen the territory’s tourism product by improving cultural interpretation on the front lines of the industry.

She added that Virgin Gorda’s history should be well known among hospitality workers and suggested the manual should be mandatory reading for tour operators, taxi drivers and others.

Health and Social Development Minister Vincent Wheatley — who represents Virgin Gorda and Anegada in the House of Assembly — also addressed the gathering, commending the manual and noting its importance for the sister island, according to the BVITBFC.