ESHS student Roliya Jackson is new Jr Min. of Tourism
Johanna Gibson of Bregado Flax Educational Center was announced as second runner up while Nia Douglas of Cedar International was declared the first runner-up in the BVI Tourist Board hosted competition.
The contestants debated topics of Accessible Tourism and Experiential Tourism over two rounds while each contestant was given a different mystery question to answer as part of the third round of the competition.
Jackson immersed herself fully into the competition, visiting various tourist locations in an attempt to better convey the topic of Experiential tourism.
She argued that tourists have now evolved and are no longer observing the Virgin Islands’ culture from afar. Jackson said in the past, tourists have lounged on the beach or viewed the sights from the comfort of a safari seat or the decks of a cruise ship but this is no longer the case.
She cited the Dolphin Discovery Programme and Bamboushay as providing life changing experiences to visitors of the Territory which give them a better appreciation of the local culture and said she became an evolved tourist for a day to participate in the experiences.
Speaking on how her experience has changed her life Jackson said, “We as BVIslanders, most times we don’t know what we have to offer and by going to the Dolphin Discovery, Bamboushay and zip-lining I got a chance to experience the BVI and the activities we have to offer for our tourists,” Jackson expressed.
After being announced the winner of the competition, Jackson said she was excited about her victory and was high in praise for the assistance given by her coach for the hard work that went into the preparation.
Among other prizes, Jackson won a Samsung Galaxy Tablet and mobile phone courtesy of CCT Global Communications complete with six months of free service.
The Junior Minister of Tourism Debate competition has been in operation since 2005 created with the goal of increasing students’ awareness of the tourism industry, providing opportunities for students to participate in the Caribbean Tourism Organisation Annual Youth Congress and enhancing national pride among students ages 13 to 17.
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