Youth Tourism Challenge title goes to Scarborough Sec

Students of Scarborough Secondary School, with a presentation “I Love Tobago,” emerged champions of the Youth Tourism Challenge, the competitive element of Tobago’s first ever Youth Tourism Symposium, hosted by the Division of Tourism, Culture and Transportation at the Shaw Park Cultural Complex on Monday,

Students Zavina Sergeant, Hadassah Pitcher, Arianna Joseph, Tyla Caesar and Khadija Nelson, under the guidance of their teacher Crystal Celestine, presented for their school in the Challenge, which required teams from six schools to pitch for a project to demonstrate the value of youth involvement in Tobago’s tourism industry.

The Scarborough Secondary students won themselves individual prizes and will also be given a financial contribution and support from the Division of Tourism, Culture and Transportation to start up and execute their project.

Speyside High School was named the first runner-up with the presentation, “Pigeon Peak,” while Signal Hill Secondary School came in third with the presentation “Sweet Tobago.”

The Symposium, which was held at the Shaw Park Complex, was attended by students from all nine secondary schools on the island, as well as representatives from various youth groups.

In her address to the students, Tourism Secretary Nadine Stewart-Phillips said the Tobago House of Assembly, and the Tourism Division, “are of the firm belief that youth are the primary holders of Tobago’s future’s social and economic growth.”

“Engaging young people in meaningful dialogue is an essential part of the Division’s role as we seek to forge a new path for tourism in Tobago,” said Stewart Phillips.

Speakers at the event included Travis Robinson, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Aviation, The Bahamas and Le-An Telesford current Junior Minister of Tourism, Trinidad and Tobago.

The main objective of the Youth Tourism Symposium was to serve as a catalyst to educate and stimulate student’s interest and involvement in the tourism sector, while motivating them to consider the industry as a viable option for future careers and entrepreneurial activities.

Fourth Form student of Pentecostal Light and Life Foundation High School, Shannon Daniel, told Newsday Tobago the symposium offered valuable insights into the benefits and impact youth involvement could have on Tobago’s tourism.

“What other schools presented for the growth of tourism to attract tourists to Tobago was an eye-opener. I am encouraged to get into the tourism industry because at the end of the day, I must support where I live, and it will be beneficial financially to me. If we don’t get enough tourists we won’t make enough money, then Tobago will be at a downfall,” she said.

Joel Thorpe, a Sixth Form student of Signal Hill Secondary School said the symposium made him want to encourage his peers to get involved in the industry.

“I think tourism is becoming the main source of finance not only for Tobago, but for Trinidad also,” he said.

: I believe I should become more involved since every village in Tobago has a rich cultural background that has not been developed as yet. I think with encouragement and more youth involvement, the industry will develop, using our culture. I am now going back to my peers at a police youth club I’m involved in and encourage them to create a programme of some sort to push tourism,” he added.

Eighteen-year old Nzilani Davidson from Metal Industries Company (MIC) Institute of Technology agreed that youth involvement was the first step toward a robust tourism sector in Tobago.

She told Newsday Tobago, “we already have something in Tobago for tourism, we just need to build on this now. I also agree with this initiative to get young people more involved since we young people know what it takes to attract other young people…. What the Division (Tourism) needs to be is consistent; symposiums like these must be done often for it to be effective.”

Ajanie Abraham, a Fifth Form student of Goodwood Secondary School, said he was happy to discover he can become a businessman and help develop tourism in Tobago.

“I have been exposed to things I didn’t know about and some of the information today helped me to understand how easy it is to make an input towards the development of the industry. This will also help me as a young person to achieve my goals. I like the way this symposium encourages entrepreneurship since I have a lot of ideas in my head that I thought I needed a large amount of money to get started. Based on the information I got today I can focus on building a team to get my ideas going,” he said.