The African Diaspora Heritage Trail conference opens at the Fairmont Southampton Princess today and will feature a Gospel Show and luncheon.

It is preceded by a Bermuda Heritage Tour starting at the Cabinet Office in Hamilton at 10.30 a.m. while a reception on the Great Sound Lawn at the Princess at 6 p.m. will feature cultural artefacts and food from the African diaspora.

The conference continues tomorrow with workshops and lectures.

Bermuda Tourism Board chairman and PLP backbencher Delaey Robinson said: "We have the beginnings of an event which will allow all cultural information that has not been made available to Bermudians to be made available."

He said the information would improve self-esteem and confidence locally while being another way to put Bermuda on the tourism map as the island sought to lure African-Americans who form 12 percent of the American population.

"This feature will lend itself very nicely to that."

He said there were tremendous spin-offs. He said: "It can't be anything but positive."

He claimed there had been great interest in the event but latecomers could still attend. He said: "We have quite handsome numbers."

Tourism have invested nearly "seven figures" into the African Diaspora Heritage Trail initiative.

Visitors exploring the Bermuda portion will be exposed to historic sites linked with the progress of people of African descent in Bermuda. The Trail also gives the option to continue to other countries in the Caribbean and Africa who are participating in the venture.