Jolé St. John Is 2025 Regional Junior Tourism Minister
Sixteen-year-old Jolé St. John of Tobago has been named the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s (CTO) 2025 Regional Junior Tourism Minister.
The announcement was made following the 21st Regional Tourism Youth Congress, held at the Hilton Barbados Resort under the theme “Caribbean Tourism Through The Eyes Of Tomorrow”.
According to CTO’s Director for Resource Mobilization & Development, Sharon Banfield-Bovell, the Youth Congress aims to empower young people to think critically, speak confidently and engage meaningfully in the development of tourism. It also helps to nurture leadership, foster innovation, and build regional pride.
Recognition of Talent
Current CTO Chairman and Barbados’ Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Ian Gooding-Edghill, praised the participants for their outstanding performances.
“I really want to congratulate all of you, every one of you who participated.… The fact that you kept our rapt attention. What I saw in each and every one of you is not only dedication and commitment, but I saw passion, real passion. And I really want to say to all of you, you’re very passionate, you certainly were not shy, and you delivered with grace, and that is important ….
“The human resources that we have and we are building within CARICOM, represented here in numbers, tells us that the Caribbean tourism human resource capacity is standing strong and is in good stead,” Minister Gooding-Edghill stated.
This year, 15 participants aged 14 to 17 represented Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Tobago.
Topics and Mystery Questions
Participants explored critical issues in Caribbean tourism, including:
- Digital Transformation in Tourism
- Leveraging Heritage Tourism for Development
- Sustainable Transport
- The Three New Ss of Caribbean Tourism – Smart Technology, Social Inclusion, and Connecting the Caribbean with Sustainable Transport
They were also challenged with one of five “mystery questions”, ranging from solving “The Case of the Missing Tourist” to creating “A Recipe for an Unforgettable Experience”.
Judges’ Impressions
Chief Judge and Manager of Stakeholder Engagement to the Caribbean region for Carnival Corporation & PLC, Charlene Drakes, described the judging process as an “extremely difficult undertaking”.
She told the Junior Tourism Ministers and Commissioners: “You guys did a phenomenal job, every single one. You guys are the personification of a region that punches above its weight consistently…. We are confident that the future of Caribbean tourism is in very safe hands.”
Ms. Drakes said the judges were impressed by the participants’ innovative ideas, research undertaken, effort dedicated, and the eloquence with which they delivered. On the mystery questions, she added:
“The mystery questions … it’s always a challenge, and you guys handled it extremely well. You handled it with poise, with confidence, and you showed us how quickly you can think on your feet. The level of maturity you showed is inspiring.”
She also commended the CTO for its commitment to youth development, saying: “I would like to commend the CTO for maintaining this legacy of the Youth Congress. It has shown how much you have invested in youth development and innovation and the cultivation of leadership in the tourism space for the Caribbean.”
Winning Presentation
During the Congress, Jolé St. John, a student of Bishop High School, presented on “Leveraging Heritage Tourism For Development” and answered the mystery question.
Speaking after her victory, Jolé shared: “It’s hard for me to pick one emotion. I was extremely emotional when the results were called, and up to this moment, I can’t pick a specific feeling, but I’m overjoyed. I’m very, very grateful to God for bringing me this far. I would have been through a lot in this journey of preparation, and I’m extremely grateful and proud of myself and the team that works with me for us being able to achieve this success….”
She expressed special gratitude to her supporters: “Specifically God, first of all, followed by my mother (Trilicia St. John-Small). She worked super extra hard on the team, helping me with practices, even in terms of constructing my speech, as well as the entire division of tourism in Tobago; they all rallied behind me. I know many of them were looking at the competition this evening. We worked really hard to construct the speech, the video presentation as well. So, I’m extremely grateful for the support system that I have.”
Offering advice to future participants, Jolé said: “If you doubt yourself nine times, bet on yourself 10. Always believe in yourself. It’s you above anyone else, not in a way that you’re prideful and looking down on others but always have that level of confidence in yourself.”
Prizes and Recognition
She received the following prizes valued at US$6000 from first prize sponsor Carnival Corporation & PLC, in collaboration with Acordis International Corporation.
- US$800 cash prize
- A Tech-enabled kit
- One educational scholarship or grant valued at US$2,500
- Opportunity to attend a 2026 regional tourism event (valued at US$2,200)
- Five mentorship and coaching sessions
Other prizes awarded were:
- An AI certificate course (US$500)
- A Future Innovator Fellowship valued at US$2000
- A cash prize of US$600
- One getaway voucher valued at US$500
- A smart phone
- One Apple iPad
- One Herschel, classic backpack and travel kit
- One Oculus Quest 3S VR headset, and one onboarding session
- Spotify and Amazon subscriptions
- One-year Canva pro subscription
- A book – “Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad”
Second place went to Caleader Lewison of Jamaica, who was also awarded the new title of Junior Secretary General of Tourism. Aylani Morris-Seymour of the Cayman Islands placed third, while Isaiah Toney of St. Vincent and the Grenadines received a special recognition award.
As part of this year’s Congress, participants also engaged in several activities, including VR/AR technology training, master classes on career readiness, and field trips to sustainable educational facilities.
Author: Sheena Forde Craigg