Flanders Fields Tourism Board Chooses Unique Campaign Byline: No More War

First in a series of articles by Sandy Dhuyvetter, Host TravelTalkRADIO and BusinessTravelRADIO Cemeteries filled with the remains of soldiers from all over the world. Over 8 million lost their lives in World War I. Many casualties were in Belgium  I was in London this past year at one of the largest travel exhibits in the world called World Travel Market when I met Dr. Peter DeWilde, the CEO of Flanders Tourism. We were both participating in the International Institute for Peace through Tourism award ceremony. As a board member, I was accepting an award for the work Airline Ambassadors International does for children around the world and Peter was busy spreading the good word about the upcoming 4 year campaign to honor Flanders Fields and experiencing the colorful culture of Belgium.  Dr. Peter DeWilde, Dr. Peter DeWilde, the CEO of Flanders Tourism. I couldn’t wait to learn more about the commemoration because of my personal connection to World War I, which by the way, is often referred to as, the Great War. As a travel journalists and a first generation American, my parents were Belgians from the villages of Ruiselede and Marie Alter in Flanders. My father was  born in1902 and had lived through World War I. That fact was Dr. DeWilde’s comments were extremely compelling and coupled with my insatiable curiosity on the subject, I decided to make another trip to Belgium to see for myself the effects of The Great War. I have been to Belgium many times but this trip turned out to be the most enlightening and endearing to me. Previously, I had been to my parent’s villages and sat in my father’s home where he said his last good bye to his Mother in 1919. However, I was still hungry for more knowledge about those dark years where 8 million people lost their lives. Sandy and her father, Joseph Dhuyvetter.  Born in Flanders Belgium in 1902, Joseph lived through World War I.  My father was just 12 when WWI broke out. German soldiers moved  into his family home in Ruiselede and life was forever changed. Perhaps the most memorable part of all his stories was the fact he never criticized the young German soldiers who he said were only doing what they were told to do and they were alone in a strange country without their mothers and fathers, a fact that struck my father very deeply as a young boy. Even during the course of the 4 years, when my Grandmother hid my father in the hay in the back of the house for weeks because the boys were being taken to the front, my father never harbored any hate for the invading army. Donald Buyze, WWI Historian and Sandy's guide throughout the trip. During my latest visit to Belgium, I thought of my father often as I visited every museum and cemetery possible related to WWI.  My dear friend and colleague Donald Buyze, who is from Wervik and a WWI historian, was my travel guide and host. During our time together, I created hours of footage and shot over 500 photos which are being incorporated into a documentary and will be used as a guide for those who want to travel to Belgium to see for themselves the very grounds where 50 nations changed the course of the war.One of the must sees is the haunting Red Star Line museum in Antwerp where visitors can find their ancestors names and how they emigrated from so many countries around Europe and beyond.  The museum is housed in the actual buildings where immigrants where processed for their Atlantic ocean voyage. If you are on a river cruise in the area, Antwerp is a port where visitors will see the Red Star Line Museum just a few steps from their ship. A day trip to Flanders Fields is easy and doable from Antwerp. The Red Star Line ocean steamers paved the way to a new life for about two million men, women and children between 1873 and 1934. Visiting the cemeteries in Waregem, Poperinge and Wervik and observing the emotional Last Post which happens each night in Ipers was just part of my experience. I also stayed a night at the Talbot House where weary British soldiers came for a night or two of respite. It brought home the actual experience of these young men and seasoned soldiers.  Last Post happens each night in Ipers As a part of my coverage, I interviewed Dr. Peter DeWilde, on  BusinessTravelRADIO. An historian, professor and clearly one of Europe's tourism leaders.  Dr. Wilde shared his personal journey as a history professor with an emphasis on understanding how studying history gives us the opportunity to learn from mistakes and most importantly, not to repeat those mistakes. This conversation is enlightening, serious, and will hopefully provide our listeners with an incentive to go, experience and remember that there is never a good reason to fight, to kill and scar this precious earth. To Listen to Dr DeWildes Interview go to: http://www.traveltalkmedia.com/belgium_2014_2018.html

About the Author Sandy Dhuyvetter:

Sandy is an award winning producer and host of TravelTalkRADIO
and BusinessTravelRADIO and has successfully launched a
host of businesses including her current media company
called TravelTalkMEDIA.


Born into a household of all girls, Sandy has 3 big sisters who
were as much as 21 years older . By the time she was three,
all of her sisters had embarked on their journeys as moms and
wives and Sandy was in much of the sense of the word, raised
as an only child whose parents gave her art, music and much
of their time. She heard many stories of the ‘old country’ and
her father’s voyage to America. Sandy’s mother’s parents came
on the Red Star Line just a year before her mother was born.
English was her parents second language. Sandy often says
“we spoke Kitchen English as my parents continued throughout
their lives to combine the Flemish and English language”.
Her family still chuckles about that memory.

http://www.visitflanders.com
http://www.TravelTalkMEDIA.com