Tourism youth clubs explore Paramin

The Tourism Youth Clubs of the Manzanilla Secondary School and the Naparima Girls’ High School went on a tour of Paramin on December 13 in commemoration of Caribbean Tourism Month.

Under the guidance of Classic Tours, the clubs visited the Our Lady of Guadalupe, journeyed to the fourth highest mountain peak in the Northern Range, La Vige, toured the seasoning factory in Paramin, learnt some French patois from the village elders, enjoyed the sounds of parang and witnessed a mini re-enactment of Carnival Monday with the Paramin devils.

Highlights of the tour were the breathtaking vistas available from the many vantage points in Paramin, the wealth of knowledge imparted by the community tour guides and the display of French and Spanish culture, especially the parang music of Los Alacran, one of the many Paramin’s parang groups.

The Ministry of Tourism had joined with Caribbean neighbours in celebrating Tourism Month with a sustained and heightened month-long focus on the importance of tourism to the national economy during November and December. The ministry said the primary objectives of Caribbean Tourism Month are to rally the nation behind the tourism sector by highlighting the possible role(s) each person can play in the development of the sector, raising awareness about the diversity of tourism product and the tourism sector as a whole.

The Ministry of Tourism is hosting a series of tours to the hidden gems within TT in order to expose locals to the beauty, history and heritage of its tangible and intangible tourism products.

In an effort to invest in tourism as a key driver of economic development, the Ministry of Tourism has begun establishing tourism clubs in schools to create greater awareness about tourism among young people. These clubs aim to generate additional platforms for more open expression and exchange of ideas about tourism-related activities, impress upon the younger and upcoming generation the possible importance and relevance of tourism in their career path, generate a positive attitude towards tourism and make younger people eager to participate in the developmental activities of tourism.