J’nae Brathwaite a 17-year-old student at Signal Hill Secondary School in Tobago has won the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Tourism Youth Congress which was held in the Cayman Islands on Thursday.
The Barbados-based CTO said in her winning presentation on Experiential Tourism, Brathwaite articulately outlined three strategies that would help Tobago meet the growing demand of the millennials and Generation-X market.
Brathwaite pointed to immersive museums, digital marketing of user-generated content, and augmented reality tours as initiatives that could further market Tobago and enhance visitor experience.
“I’m still in a daze because I still can’t believe it. When I heard my name called as the winner, I literally wanted to melt away,” said an emotional Brathwaite.
“It was a lot but I know that I put in a lot of hard work. I know that my teachers were continually there, and my family was always supporting me regardless of the time and circumstance.”
Tobago’s Tourism and Culture Secretary, Tashia Burris, said she was “absolutely elated” by her island’s success at the Youth Congress.
“We certainly see this as a demonstration that our programs in the education system are working,” Burris said, adding “we are trying to invigorate our island post-COVID and one of the strategies we’re using is to really start with the young people and I’m happy to see this bear fruit.”
Seventeen-year-old Marika Baptiste of St Vincent and the Grenadines placed second while 16-year-old Kelvin Archer of The Bahamas was third.
Prizes for the top three finishers were sponsored by Sandals Barbados Resort and Spa and the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism.
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