Barbadian heritage has been officially acknowledged on the world stage with the Historic Bridgetown & Garrison confirmed for inclusion within the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.

The official inscription was granted by the World Heritage Committee during its 35th session at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.

UNESCO described the location as “an outstanding example of British colonial architecture” and placed Bridgetown among the ranks of other landmarks including the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur, the Statue of Liberty and the Great Wall of China.

Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison site was considered for nomination after Barbados became signatory to the UNESCO Convention for the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage Convention in 2002.

The Minister of Culture, Stephen Lashley, attended the convention to support the admission of Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison into the prestigious list.

Barbados submitted the nomination dossier to UNESCO World Heritage Centre on February 1st, 2009, and that was among 45 proposals which were examined by the World Heritage Committee in June 2010.

Along with Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison, the committee also inducted Hiraizumi – Temples, Gardens and Archaeological Sites Representing the Buddhist Pure Land in Japan; and, the Ancient beech forests located at Hessen, Germany.

The World Heritage List now numbers 936 properties: 183 natural sites; 725 cultural; and 28 mixed.

City.Mobi

Also in the Caribbean today, City.Mobi is celebrating the success of its new guide to Bridgetown.

City.Mobi offers the most comprehensive mobile travel guides available, with over 800 cities in 200 countries listed. Each is developed by the City.Mobi team to combine into a single global travel directory.

However, each city retains its own mobile identity via a dedicated domain. Already on offer are Brussels.Mobi, Paris.Mobi, Sanfrancisco.Mobi and Sydney.Mobi.

Bridgetown.Mobi is the latest in this illustrious line up, offering click to call functionality – which means no scribbling down telephone numbers.

Most entries are also linked to websites where users can quickly access more detailed information if needed.

Other key features include information on accommodation, restaurants, attractions, entertainment, nightlife, shopping, and transport.

City.Mobi guides include user reviews and traveller utilities such as a translation guide, currency converter, news and local weather guide.