Mary Joseph named VI’s Junior Ambassador of
Ten secondary school students from across the Virgin Islands competed for the Junior Ambassador of Tourism title; Mary Joseph of the Seventh-day Adventist School won the crown and will represent the BVI at the Caribbean Tourism Youth Congress in Guyana in October 2026. Mary Joseph’s winning presentation, called "TAG: Target. Authenticate. Guide," focused on using social media campaigns to promote lesser-known attractions, authenticate local experiences and direct visitors to support community businesses, according to VINO.
The annual Junior Ambassador of Tourism competition, organised by the Training Department of the BVI Tourist Board & Film Commission (BVITBFC), brought together ten students from public and private secondary schools across the Territory. The event was held on Thursday, June 4, 2026, in the conference room at Maria’s by the Sea Hotel in Road Town, Tortola, and began at 2:00 PM.
The winner will go on to represent the Virgin Islands at the Caribbean Tourism Youth Congress in Guyana, part of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation’s State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC) scheduled for October 5–9, 2026. McCoy welcomed broader participation this year, saying he was pleased to see representation from all the Territory’s secondary schools.
McCoy noted the competition provides a platform for young people to debate and present innovative solutions to tourism challenges and remains an annual initiative that raises awareness about the importance of tourism to the Virgin Islands. All secondary schools across the Territory were invited to participate.
The ten students who took part were Annabelle Maina (Cedar International School); Arianna Irons (Seventh-day Adventist School); Anayah Thomas (Virgin Islands School of Technical Studies); Caleb Stoutt (Elmore Stoutt High School); Khloe Glasgow-Dabreo (Ciboney Centre for Excellence); Angelica Budhu (Elmore Stoutt High School); Mayanna Pope (Bregado Flax Educational Centre Secondary Division); Naijah Vanterpool (Claudia Creque Educational Centre); Yachristian Roberts (St.
George’s Secondary School); and Mary Joseph (Seventh-day Adventist School). Participants each selected one of four tourism-related topics provided by the Caribbean Tourism Organisation and delivered a three-minute presentation. The topics for 2026 were Multigenerational Travel Product Development; Social Media & Sustainable Destination Management; Cultural Industries & Tourism Innovation; and The New Age of Tourism Professionals.
After presentations, a mystery question segment gave contestants one minute to prepare and one minute to respond. According to Virgin Islands News Online (VINO), Mary Joseph emerged victorious at the June 4 event. Caleb Stoutt of Elmore Stoutt High School finished second, and Arianna Irons of the BVI Seventh-day Adventist School placed third.
VINO reported that Joseph won the judges over with a presentation titled "TAG: Target. Guide." Her strategy emphasised targeted social media campaigns on platforms like Instagram and TikTok to spotlight the BVI year-round, an "authenticate" approach that promotes real, unedited cultural experiences, and a "guide" element encouraging visitors to engage with local food, music and storytellers.
She proposed campaigns such as "BVI Beyond the Horizon" to showcase lesser-known gems including Anegada’s flamingos, and "BVI 365" to highlight events throughout the year. "The world cannot appreciate what it never sees," Joseph told judges, arguing that social media can connect visitors with communities and support local businesses (VINO).
Prizes for the winner include a custom engraved plaque from Bamboushay, a one-month internship with the BVITBFC, recognition as a CCT Ambassador, a laptop, a phone with one year of service from CCT, a For De Kulture tote, a prize from the National Bank of the Virgin Islands, and a swag bag from the BVITBFC.
The BVI Tourist Board encourages residents to support the young contestants as they showcase ideas that could shape the future of tourism in the Territory and help prepare them for careers in hospitality, marketing and cultural promotion.
Primary source: VINO