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Mrs Allison Owen-Hill receives package from Mrs. Vanessa Webbe-Hendrickson, Research and Development officer in the Ministry of Tourism. |
CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (September 14, 2005) -- Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism Mr. Tyrone OFlaherty has called on Nevis secondary school students to get involved in a regional photography contest, which was launched by his ministry on Wednesday. He said the contest was another way of keeping the islands youths occupied and involved in the development of Caribbeans tourism.
I would like to add my words of support of this event organised by National Geographic I think it is a wonderful idea and a fantastic next step in getting the young people of our country involved and the young people indeed of the entire Caribbean community involved in tourism development, he said.
The National Geographic Traveler magazine based in the United States in conjunction with the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) through member states, invited students aged 12-17 to submit photos that they believe capture the best attributes of their country. The 2005 contest is expected to be an annual event on the CTOs calendar.
Mr. OFlaherty also announced that as of 2006, the ministry would stage at least three photographic exhibitions ahead of the major regional contest. He said that submissions would come from the various food and agriculture based fairs on the island particularly as the Ministry of Tourism in Nevis was moving towards linking agriculture and culture with tourism.
Meantime Ms Elmeader Brookes Director of Research and Development in the Ministry of Tourism who chaired the launching ceremony at the Marion Heights office noted that the contest ends on November 15, 2005 and gave a brief account of how the students could participate in the contest.
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Mr Joseph Wilshire, Mr Tyrone OFlaherty and Ms Elmeader Brookes during the launch of the photo contest at the Ministry of Tourisms Marion Heights office in Nevis. |
They can take a variety of elements of their Caribbean culture the people, food, landscape, and even local events. They can submit five photos through the Ministry of Tourism who will in turn select the best of these photos and submit to National Geographic with its headquarters in the United States of America, she said.
According to Ms. Brookes, the grand prizewinner will receive a four-day three-night trip for two (a chaperon or a parent) to Washington DC in 2006. Their trip will include a visit to National Geographic headquarters and a tour of the city of Washington with a National Geographic photographer. The winner will also receive a 35mm digital camera and will have their winning entry published in the National Geographic Traveler magazine in May, 2006.
The second place winner will receive an Ultimate Photography Package of a digital camera and camera carrying case as well as three National Geographic Society photography books while the third place winner will receive 10 National Geographic Society photography books. A photo exhibit of some of the finalists work will be on display at select travel shows.
Mrs Allison Owen-Hill, Principal of the Lynn Jeffers School, and Mr Joseph Wiltshire, Education Officer for Secondary Schools, received packages with the details of the contest on behalf of the Lynn Jeffers School and the Charlestown and Gingerland Secondary Schools respectively.
