Incumbent Junior Minister of Tourism Taliah Cooper poses with Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchombe during a special breakfast held at Superclub Breezes recently. (Photo: Raymond Bethel/BIS)
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By the end of this week, a new junior minister of tourism will be
named and will take on the mammoth task of bridging the gap between the
government and the youth in the country’s number one industry.
Fifteen finalists
from New Providence, Grand Bahama, Abaco, Andros, Exuma, Long Island, Bimini,
Eleuthera, Cat Island, Berry Islands, Inagua, Mayaguana, San Salvador, Acklins
and Crooked Island are scheduled to compete for the prestigious position.
The competition will be held on Thursday, April 16 at 9:30 a.m. at
Superclub Breezes Resort, Cable Beach.
Competitors will
deliver three to five-minute speeches on the topic “Tourism: Remaining
Competitive in a Global Environment.”
A “mystery”
question will be presented at the final competition. Finalists will have one to
two minutes to give a response. The winners will be chosen based on a 60 per cent
score from the prepared topic and 40 per cent from the mystery topic.
The Junior Minister of Tourism programme was launched in 2002
through the Ministry of Tourism’s Training and Education Department.
The long-range goal of this enhancement
program is to generate a talent pool of young professionals to service to the
tourism industry.
The
victor of this competition will succeed Preston H. Albury student Taliah Cooper
of Eleuthera, who made history by becoming the first Family Islander to win.
Director
of Industry Training Ian Ferguson says the junior minister of tourism
competition is vital to the tourism industry.
“The
Junior minister programme is important because it provides a platform for youth
expression on tourism matters. I think it is important because it allows us
identify the giftedness in young people. This person will speak on the Ministry
of Tourism’s executive team behalf throughout the country and the region. He or
she will advise the Minister of Tourism on matters behalf of the youth,” he
said.
The
contestants for the competition are as followed:
|
Zoya Thompson |
Agape Christian School |
Abaco |
|
Michel Anderson |
Acklins Central High
School |
Acklins |
|
Leketra Robinson |
Mangrove Cay High
School |
Andros |
|
Bernette Wright |
R. N. Gomez All-Age
School |
Berry Island |
|
Jaquan Brennen |
Louise McDonald High
School |
Bimini |
|
Westinique Emmauel |
Arthur's Town High
School |
Cat Island |
|
Lindicia Rolle |
Crooked Island High
School |
Crooked Island |
|
Philip Moss |
North Eleuthera High
School |
Eleuthera |
|
Rebecca Knowles |
L. N. Coakley High
School |
Exuma |
|
Latess Bartlett |
Mary Star of the Sea
Catholic Academy |
Grand Bahama |
|
Chrishauna Curry |
Inagua All-Age School |
Inagua |
|
Leschelle Shyann Pratt |
North Long Island High
School |
Long Island |
|
Owyn Ferguson |
St. Anne's High School |
New Providence |
|
Johnnica Hall |
San Salvador Central
High School |
San Salvador |
The
prizes are as followed:
1st PLACE:
Patrick S.
Bain Scholarship (tenable at the College of The Bahamas)
All-expense
paid four-day trip to CTO Youth Congress
$500.00 cash prize and a trophy
(School also
receives $500.00 and a floating trophy)
2ND
PLACE:
$300.00 cash
prize and a trophy
(School also
receives $300.00 and a plaque)
3RD
PLACE:
$200.00 cash
prize and a trophy
(School also
receives $200.00 and a plaque)
