St. Eustatius' Fort Oranje will be part of an international virtual route linking historical forts in the Caribbean. The St. Eustatius Monuments Foundation (SEMF) signed on as a participant in the Cariforts Network, an initiative of the General Council of Guadeloupe. The project aims to connect Caribbean fortifications through mutual promotion and awareness building and stimulate visitors of one fort to also visit the other strongholds that are part of the network.The other founding participants are Martinique (Municipality of Fort-de-France), Puerto Rico (San Juan National Historic Site), St. Kitts (Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park Society) and Antigua (Nelson's Dockyard National Park).
"They are more than old stones. They are driving forces of economic development," is how the President of the Guadeloupe General Council, Jacques Gillot, summed it up at the ceremony for the official joint signing of the charter inside the impressive Fort Delgrès in Basse-Terre (Guadeloupe). According to the charter "The Caribbean forts and fortifications constitute a shared heritage offering potential for tourism and cultural development, and for further cooperation and regional integration." The aim of Cariforts is to capitalize on this potential.
A website, leaflets, videos, booklets, PR campaigns and gifts and souvenirs for the tourist markets are amongst the activities to be undertaken. They are to promote the entire route at each of the participating locations so that every island can benefit from publicizing the whole network at any one of the member forts. As an illustration, it means that the more than 2 million annual visitors to the Fortress of El Morro in San Juan, Puerto Rico, will also be informed about Fort Oranje in Statia as an attractive place to visit.
In fact, the promotion already started at the signing ceremony since it was part of the celebrations for the abolition of slavery in Guadeloupe and the opening of a new permanent exhibition in Fort Delgrès - with St. Eustatius mentioned before every musical or dance performance and in every public address. SEMF Monuments Director Walter Hellebrand was invited over by the Guadeloupe General Council to sign on behalf of the SEMF. He was also able to do several interviews about Statia's forts with the local French language radio and television.