Min. of Tourism to launch 2018 school calendar contest

Photo caption: Shelagh James, Communications officer in the Ministry of Tourism on Nevis with a copy of the ministry’s 2017 calendar

NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (April 21, 2017) — Ministry of Tourism’s second Annual School’s Calendar Competition will be launched on April 24, 2017, as part of Exposition Nevis, a month of activities designed to bring awareness about the tourism product on Nevis.

Shelagh James, Communications Officer in the ministry who is charged with the competition says the second annual contest is themed “The Tourism Product” and will encompass anything to do with tourism. The closing date for submissions is September 08, 2017.

“Basically, the contest is to hone in the children’s creativity on what tourism means to them and in doing so, they will learn about the tourism products Nevis has to offer.

“It’s an awareness exercise and it’s a fun way of learning. It encourages dialogue at school and at home and team work in the classroom,” she said.

Entries for the contest must come from schools and not individual students. They will be competing to have their submissions features in the 2018 Ministry of Tourism calendar.

In the first year of the competition, five schools participated. The top winner was the Cecele Browne Integrated School who won 7 out of 12 pages. The Montessori Academy came second and won 5 out of 12 pages. The runner-up schools were the Charlestown Primary, Nevis International Secondary and the Violet O. Jeffers Nicholls Primary.

James said in the first year, participants were very enthusiastic about the project. However, for this year, she is hopeful that entries would come from more schools across the island.

She believes that the competition also provides an opportunity to students at an early age to tourism, the island’s main economic engine.

“If they do not know about the tourism product, they would not be able to appreciate what tourism means for Nevis. The contest engenders pride, among students, in what the island offers to visitors and locals alike.

“Teaching the younger school children about the tourism product teaches them how tourism impacts them and at the same time stimulate their interest in the tourism industry from an early age,” she said.

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