Basseterre, St. Kitts, 28th October, 2005 An enthused and proud Vondez Phipps brings honour to St. Kitts & Nevis as he tied for third place, at a regional effective speaking competition, held during the 28th annual Caribbean Tourism Conference (CTC).
Seventeen high school students represented their respective Caribbean countries as "Junior Ministers of Tourism" at the fifth annual Youth Congress held in St. Thomas. During the ninety-minute event students presented on the questions "promoting responsible tourism in the Caribbean" and "attracting Caribbean youth to view tourism as a viable career option". Followed by an un-seen question which sought their views on what measures should be put in place to secure safety and security of visitors.
"I am privileged to have represented my country. As a result of the experience I have gained knowledge in tourism and built relationships with the students from the other islands. We were even talking about having a reunion one day," said Vondez Phipps. When asked about what he gained from the competition, he said " it was a stepping stone to my hopes of becoming a parliamentary representative. It therefore gave me exposure and a chance to develop my public speaking skills." For all his hard work, Vondez would be awarded a cash prize of US$200 and a lap-top computer.
Justin Seale of Barbados won the competition; while Jerome Brooks of St. Maarten placed second and Joanne Marshall of St. Vincent & the Grenadines tied for third place with Vondez.
The St. Kitts Tourism Authority's mandate includes the development and promotion of the Tourism product of the island.
