ANTIGUA & BARBUDA TOURISM AUTHORITY

Darshanie Singh Selected as Antigua and Barbuda's’ 2016 Junior Minister of Tourism

(St. John’s, Antigua)  July 6, 2016 – The Antigua and Barbuda Ministry of Tourism has named sixteen year old Antigua Girls High School Student, Darshanie Singh as Junior Minister of Tourism.

Singh outperformed ten other contenders from high schools across the country to be named the 2016 Junior Minister following the Junior Minister of Tourism Speech Competition held on Tuesday 5th July.

Speaking to the students prior to the competition, Minister of Tourism the Hon. Asot Michael expressed his satisfaction with their participation in the Junior Minister selection process.

“Clearly, as young people I am very proud of all of you and the interest that you have placed in our industry. Your participation in the Tourism Cadet Corp and this Junior Tourism Speech Competition tells me two things about you. One, that you love you country and want to be a part of the industry that is the life blood of the nation and two, you have a deep strength of character.

As Minister of Tourism I am elated that at such a young age you are not just saying you are committed to nation building, but by participating in this event you have done something tangible.  You will all collectively lift the image of tourism and the young people in this nation, by your research, your preparation and effective delivery.”

In an enthusiastically contested competition, Singh in a prepared speech, presented to the Tourism Minister, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Paula Frederick-Hunte, judges, students and an audience of well-wishers, the ways in which she would improve the “Customers Perception of the Tourism Brand”. In the Mystery Question, segment she discussed a social media contest, she would launch in a bid to increase the destination’s brand awareness.

Upon winning an overwhelmed Singh said, “Honestly, winning this was not expected. The preparation was very intense. It came down to weeks of preparation where every day I found myself at the Ministry of Tourism practicing.  To the awesome people I had to work with from the Ministry of Tourism, thank you! It was an awesome experience. And it really shows that hard work pays off, and that what you want you have to work for.”

Singh who is a member of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Cadet Corps said, throughout her time in the cadet corps, and in preparing for the competition, she had learnt a great deal about tourism in Antigua and Barbuda.

Ken-nyse Lynch also of the Antigua Girls High School, and Javon Armstrong of the Antigua Grammar School came up closely behind Singh.  Lynch was the First Runner up in the Junior Minister of Tourism Competition while Armstrong was Second Runner Up.

Armstrong tied with Singh in the prepared speech segment of the competition, while Jahson Harvey of the Clare Hall Secondary School was the best presenter for the mystery topic.

Tourism Education, Training and Awareness Manager in the Ministry of Tourism, Petley Knight, says the next step for Antigua and Barbuda’s new Junior Minister of Tourism is an audience with the Minister of Tourism.  Singh will then journey to Barbados to participate in the Youth Congress to be held during the Caribbean Tourism Organisation’s State of the Industry Conference in September.

Judges at the 2016 competition were, Young Hotelier of the Year Matara Murphy, National Honours Awardee in the area of Culture and Community development, Yolanda Lake-Goodwin, and Online Coordinator of Marketing within the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, Abena Merchant.

The outgoing 2015 Junior Minister of Tourism is Kia Barnes of the Antigua State College.