Ms. Jassie Thomas, student of the Vieux Fort Comprehensive Secondary School emerged winner of the Tik-Tok video competition “Why My Island Saint Lucia Is the Best”. The competition was launched in June, 2022 and afforded students between the ages of 14 to 17 years the opportunity to create a video depicting various elements of Saint Lucia’s tourism product (sites & attractions, adventure, craft, scenery and culture) explaining why Saint Lucia is one of the most sought-after destinations in the Caribbean.
The new Junior Minister of Tourism will receive a prize package comprising a plaque, laptop and an educational voucher valued at EC$1,500. The first official engagement for the Junior Minister will be a formal introduction to Minister for Tourism, Dr. Ernest Hilaire. Ms. Thomas will represent Saint Lucia at the upcoming Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Youth Congress on September 15th 2022 in the Cayman Islands, where she will present on “Community-Based Tourism”.
Upon return to Saint Lucia, the calendar of activities for the Junior Minister includes:
1. Official breakfast with tourism officials;
2. Attendance at Parliamentary sessions;
3. Shadowing of the Minister of Tourism
4. Engaging the Ministry of Tourism in initiatives specific to youth in Saint Lucia;
5. Participation at the Tourism Symposium October, 2022;
6. Youth address for World Tourism Day 2022 on the theme “Rethinking Tourism”;
7. Participation in tourism-related activities organized by the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority (SLTA) and the Community Tourism Agency;
8. Participation in community dialogue on the benefits of Community Tourism;
Ms. Jassie Thomas as she assumes her new role of Junior Minister of Tourism 2022-2023.