A secondary school student on island will named the new “Junior Tourism Minister” and will be given the opportunity to represent Dominica at the Annual Caribbean Tourism Organization State of the Industry Conference to be held in Curacao from October 21st – 23rd.
The student will be chosen from eight secondary schools set to compete in the annual Tourism Youth Congress carded for Wednesday at the Arawak House of Culture.
The Tourism Youth Congress is one of the educational activities organized for Tourism Awareness Month, being celebrated this month.
“Wednesday May 6th, Tourism Youth Congress to take place at the Arawak House of Culture from 10:00 am,” Coordinator of the Tourism Awareness Month, Liz Cuffy, said. “The Tourism Youth Congress targets all secondary schools around the island aimed at improving students’ knowledge of tourism industry and their ability to prepare and present speeches.”
The following students will participate in this year’s Congress:
Castle Bruce Secondary School …..Larissa Frederick
Convent High School….. Savahnn James
Dominica Community High School …..Javeed Stoute
Dominica Grammar School…. Christelle Bannis
North East Comprehensive School….. Chelsea Lawrence
Orion Academy…. Emma Lehrer
Pierre Charles Secondary School….. Makisha Weekes
Wesley High School…. Franciane Bernard
For the congress students are required to prepare ONE of the two topics below to discuss.
Each student will be given three (3) minutes to express his/her ideas on the chosen topic.
TOPIC #1: VOLUNTOURISM – Giving back to the countries visited
According to Voluntourism.org, “the idea of combining voluntary service with travel is not a new concept. In fact, it can be traced back for many thousands of years in various cultures and religious orders throughout the world. Missionaries, healers, and/or medical practitioners, sailors, explorers and countless others have rendered service in conjunction with their travels.”
This term, “Voluntourism,” has been offered up as a new way to travel. It suggests that travellers will offer their holiday time to volunteer as helping hands for some worthy project(s) within the destination visited and, in turn gain many personal benefits.
As Junior Minister or Commissioner of Tourism in your country, share your ideas on either: (1) expanding or enhancing an existing voluntourism programme in your country or (2) developing a new voluntourism project that you would like to create in your country. Make sure to explain how the country will benefit in any of the following ways: economically, socially, culturally and environmentally from the particular programme or project.
TOPIC #2: GREENING TOURISM EVENTS
Many countries in the Caribbean are involved in the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) niche markets as they seek to attract a variety of visitors to our destinations with musical festivals, carnivals, food events, sporting activities, conferences, trade fairs etc. Unfortunately, these events can use a great deal of resources and generate substantial garbage that has to be disposed of after the event. Additionally travel by land or by sea may be involved, leaving behind carbon footprints.
Greening a tourism event implies that the event would be developed and managed in a way that ensures the reduction of any potential negative environmental impacts. It would also involve collaboration of everyone involved, from the event planners to the suppliers, the venue and the delegates or patrons.
As Junior Minister or Commissioner or Tourism in your country, share one example of an existing tourism event in your country that you would propose to green and share how you would go about doing this.
TOPIC # 3: FILM INDUCED TOURISM
Ever since the introduction of film, many viewers had been inspired by the scenery and local culture of film locations, which have motivated them to holiday at these destinations (Noelle O’Connor 2010). Examples of holiday destinations influenced by films are Matamata, New Zealand (Lord of the Rings); Hawaii (Avatar); Salsburg, Austria (Sound of Music); Mehrangarh Fort, India (The Dark Knight Rises); Paradise and New Providence Island , Bahamas (James Bond’s Never Say Never and Casino Royale); St. Croix, USVI (The Shawshank Redemption); and St. Vncent and the Grenadines and Dominica (Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy.
Your destination is looking at ways to really tap into this Film Induced Tourism niche market and to promote itself as an attractive and exciting destination for film producers, film investors and film tourists.
As Junior Minister or Commissioner of Tourism in your country, identify two (2) outstanding locations or landscapes in your destination that you strongly believe would capture the interest of major international filmmakers and entice them to produce their work in your destination. Give reasons for your choices.
Mystery Topic
A mystery topic will be presented at the Youth Congress and each participant will have one (1) minute to make notes and prepare their response, and one (1) minute to present their responses.
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