Eight students will compete for the title of Junior Ambassador of Tourism on Wednesday, June 5 at UP’s Cineplex in Road Town at 2 p.m.

This competition, organised by the Training Department of the British Virgin Islands Tourist Board & Film Commission (BVITBFC), underscores the growing engagement of the British Virgin Islands’ youth in the tourism sector.

The winner will represent the British Virgin Islands at the Annual Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Regional Tourism Youth Congress in the Cayman Islands from September 4-6.

This year’s competition is especially notable, featuring participants from all eight secondary schools in the Territory for the first time. The competitors and their respective schools are:

• Carey-Ann McKie, Bregado Flax Educational Centre Secondary Division
• Soccorria Telseford, BVI Seventh Day Adventist School
• Annabelle Maina, Cedar International School
• A’Nia Turnbull, Ciboney Centre for Excellence
• Asaud Smith, Claudia Creque Educational Centre
• Adrianne Thomas, Elmore Stoutt High School
• De-Andra Sylvera, St. George’s Secondary School
• Brenique Deane, Virgin Islands School of Technical Studies

Last year’s regional competition saw a historic victory with Naomi Onwufuju of Elmore Stoutt High School clinching the title. This year’s contest promises to build on that success, with students presenting their views on four tourism topics provided by the CTO. Each participant will have three minutes to present, followed by a mystery question round where they will have five minutes to prepare and one minute to respond.

“We have eight competitors this year, and we are ecstatic to see the outcome and the unique perspectives each student brings to the tourism table,” said Mrs Natalie Penn-Lake, Standards and Training Manager at BVITBFC and coordinator of the territorial competition.

The students were encouraged to participate by their teachers, with invitations and competition criteria distributed to all secondary schools. Director of Tourism Clive McCoy emphasised the competition’s role in raising awareness about the opportunities and challenges in the tourism industry among the youth. “This competition is a vital part of raising awareness about the opportunities and challenges in the tourism industry among the public, especially the youth. It often generates great ideas and lively debate. Some participants also go on to pursue careers in tourism or become staunch tourism advocates,” McCoy said.

The winner will receive a one-month internship at BVITBFC, $1,000 cash, participation in the regional competition, a one-year tenure as CCT Brand Ambassador, and a laptop. Other prizes for the finalists include iPads, other electronic gifts, and gift certificates for an ATV excursion on Jost Van Dyke.