ABCAS Student Wins 2026 National Tourism Youth Congress

ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA SELECTS NEW JUNIOR TOURISM MINISTER

Janica Adams has been named the new Junior Minister of Tourism for Antigua and Barbuda coming out of the recent Tourism Youth Congress Competition held yesterday (Thurs) at the Sir John E St. Luce Financial Center.

Janica who hails from the Antigua and Barbuda College of Advanced Studies is a former Tourism Cadet and is also a Leeward Island debating champion, who stood out amongst 7 of her peers representing secondary schools across the island.

Mr. Pete Charles from the Sir Novelle Richards Academy took the first runner-up spot while Mr. Soleil Williams from the Antigua Grammar School came in second.
Students were required to prepare one of four tourism-related topics to discuss during the first round of the competition with 3 minutes to present while one mystery topic was put forward for discussion giving each participant one minute to prepare and another to present.

The winner of the local youth congress competition goes on to compete at a regional level at the CTO Youth Congress which is held in conjunction with the State of the Tourism Industry Conference, and brings together tourism ministers, policymakers, academics, and private-sector leaders from across the Caribbean. Competing at this level exposes students to high-level discussions on the future of regional tourism.

Many former participants have gone on to careers in tourism, government, law, communications, hospitality, and international relations, making the programme an important pipeline for developing the Caribbean’s next generation of tourism leaders.

For countries such as Antigua and Barbuda, participation also provides an opportunity for students to showcase the nation’s tourism products, culture, sustainability initiatives, and vision for the future before a regional audience.

Minister of Tourism the Hon. Charles Fernandez who was a guest of honour at yesterday’s competition issued congratulatory remarks to the newly selected Junior Minister of Tourism, “the Tourism Youth Congress continues to provide an invaluable platform for developing the next generation of tourism leaders, and today’s winner has proven to be an exceptional ambassador for Antigua and Barbuda. I congratulate our new Junior Minister of Tourism on this well-deserved accomplishment and commend all the students who participated in this year’s competition. As you prepare to represent our nation, I encourage you to embrace this opportunity with confidence, knowing that your voice will help shape conversations about the future of tourism in our region.”

The 2026 CTO Tourism Youth Congress will be held in Guyana from the 5th-9th of October in Georgetown Guyana.

Congratulations to all the participants in Thursday’s forum, Jahniya Cornelius; St. Mary’s Secondary School, Danae Foster; Christ the King High School, Julissa George; All Saints Secondary School, Deanna Lando; Clare Hall Secondary School, and Kayleigh Martyr; Divine Academy of Excellence who did an excellent job representing their respective educational institutions.
The Antigua and Barbuda edition of the Tourism Youth Congress is organized by the Tourism Education Training and Awareness Department within the Ministry of Tourism which is headed by Manager Tracey Browne.
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