One Woman's Island: In Search of Refuge and Renewal NEW DIRECTORY OFFERS EMBRACING RETREATS FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR

African Americans in particular feel a cultural linkage and the rich heritage shared by the descendants of Africans taken from their homeland to work as slaves, when they visit Caribbean islands. One Woman's Island: In Search of Refuge and Renewal is the first guidebook of its kind which lists Caribbean islands where diverse ethnic groups can find relaxation and rejuvenation.

One Woman's Island: In Search of Refuge and Renewal

ATLANTA (PR Web) - Publicist and travel writer Regina Lynch-Hudson noted that when tourism boards bombarded her with press kit solicitations, few if any contained images or information that pertained to people of color. "It's as if people of color are only viewed as rendering spa services to blond, haired-blue eyed tourists rather than depicted as tourists ourselves. People can rove through entire spa/resort
directories, luxury travel magazines, and airline in-flight publications with no diversity depicted, " says Lynch-Hudson.

After collecting hundreds of press kits and travel trade magazines, Lynch-Hudson decided to pen One Woman's Island: In Search of Refuge and Renewal, a guidebook which lists Caribbean islands where diverse ethnic groups can find relaxation and rejuvenation.

One Woman's Island will enable readers to explore multicultural visitor attractions and events, making it easier to plan vacations, family reunions and group travel to the region. Travelers will know where to go partake in cultural carnivals and festivals, and Heritage Tours, as well as where to find sacred temples, restaurants, hotels, nightlife, and exotic markets.

One Woman's Island is not simply about the island destination. It is about the journey to ones inner island. It is about the history and the people and the places and the landmarks that define islands ---- the portals of which black slaves entered this country. This project will transform those who have their noses stuck in
guidebooks and magazines that romanticize the identity of tourists, and will get readers engaged in the human connection of travel.

"African Americans in particular feel a cultural linkage and the rich heritage shared by the descendants of Africans taken from their homeland to work as slaves, when they visit Caribbean islands. The bond between African Americans and many native islanders is a people separated by time and ocean, who speak a similar language and share similarities of crafts, culinary techniques, music, celebration, folk tales, and belief systems.

Slaves were imported from Africa early on to work the growing number of sugar plantations throughout the Caribbean . The islands were also used as a base for reshipment of slaves to other areas. Hence, there's "the magical feeling of renewal" and "common ground" that African-American travelers in particular, experience when visiting an island, according to Lynch-Hudson.

The dynamic incredible fusion is indeed the ingredients of festival arts as we find them today throughout the African and Caribbean Diaspora. Important to Caribbean festival arts are the ancient African traditions of parading and meandering in circles through villages in native costume and masks. Carnival traditions also derive from the African tradition of putting together natural objects (bones, beads, shells fabric) to create a piece of sculpture, a mask, or costume - with each object or combination of objects representing a central idea or spiritual force. During
the African slave trade that began in the early 1600's, foods from West Africa came to the Caribbean Islands, including okra, pigeon peas, plantains and breadfruit.

"We feel that it's absolutely necessary for island destinations to increase visibility that embraces and speaks specifically to people of color," says Lynch-Hudson. " The Caribbean, in particular, has always been a top travel destination for African Americans ---- from the annual Michael Jordon Celebrity Invitational Golf Tournament ------ to the Barbados Jazz Festival ------ to Jamaica being viewed as a love nest where single black women can meet men, as depicted in the hit movie How Stella Got Her Groove Back.

A majority (64%) of African-American travel is for pleasure, with African-Americans spending more than $30 billion a year on travel. Many US Convention & Visitors Bureaus have officially launched campaigns specifically to attract people of color to a travel destination, she noted.

Fulfilling a life-long dream to tie an international travel adventure with goodwill, Lynch-Hudson remarked, "I am thrilled to be able to effectively guide others to fulfilling travel experiences. Being able to give back a little something for all the amazing travel experiences and fond memories I have taken from the world, is indeed an honor."

Lynch-Hudson, 45, a seasoned travel columnist and nationally recognized publicist, is in negotiations with leading publishers of travel directories and books, with a slated
publication date of Summer 2004. Tourism entities and island hoppers may send their news of venues, festivals, and island destinations to: The One Woman's Island Project, c/o: The Write Publicist & Co., 120 Adair Circle, Fayetteville, GA 30215 or thewritepublicist@earthlink.net     www.thewritepublicist.com