Muriel Wiltord, director, Americas of the Martinique Promotion Bureau, was formally presented with the insignia of Knight in the order of the French Legion of Honor at the French Consulate in New York Thursday for her 33 years of service in promoting Martinique, and French Caribbean destinations in the US and globally.Induction in the prestigious Legion of Honor is France’s highest civilian honor, created in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte to reward military and civilians who rendered “eminent services” on France’s behalf. Other famous members include Victor Hugo, Josephine Baker, Salvador Dali, Jean Cocteau and Miles Davis. In accepting the award Wiltord, a native of Senegal, the African republic and former French colony, said her early experiences helped shape her view of travel and tourism’s importance.“My interest in the Caribbean and the African diaspora started when I was a teenager,” she said. “After learning of the dire circumstances of the establishment of our people in the new world, it became crucial to my personal development to do everything in my power to contribute to our economic emancipation.”MORE People Added Wiltord, “Sustainable and equitable development of tourism was in my opinion, only part of the solution, but the part I knew I could seize and deploy.”She added, “I cannot help but quote one of the co-members of the village that raised me, a man whose guidance transcended every step that has led me to this point, Martinique poet Aimé Césaire. He said, “It takes all kinds to make one world.”Wiltord also cited her strong French roots and affinity for her culture. “Yes, I’m French,” she said Thursday. “I love its literature, admire its artists, savor its wine and fine cuisine [and] its architecture and landscape, not to forget its remarkable contribution to global human rights.”Wiltord noted her career in travel and tourism has taken her from Africa to France to the United States and New York, challenging her to constantly encounter new languages, dialects and cultures. She joked that she “nodded and smiled a lot” in her earlier days as specifics of some conversations were occasionally “lost in translation.”“Being honored by the Legion of Honor means a lot. Notice that I am not nodding and smiling. An honor of this magnitude is anything but lost in translation. I hear it I understand it, and once again I thank you for it.” Let's block ads! (Why?)