BVI Wins Tourism Awareness Competition

. October 14, 2008

OCTOBER 25, 2006. In an award ceremony at the CTO Conference in Grand Bahama Island, Klara Glowczewska, Editor in Chief of Cond'e Nast Traveler, has announced that nine-year-old Joseph Archibald-Bowers of British Virgin Islands was the winner of the the Cond'e Nast Traveler "My Caribbean" Essay Contest.

Glowczewska also announced the two runners-up: Jasherel Wielzen of Suriname and Joshua Tuson of Grenada. This contest, now in its 14th year, is the first of its kind for Caribbean school children, and has become a symbol of Cond'e Nast Traveler's commitment to the development of the Caribbean.

Grand prize winner Archibald-Bowers received a $2,000 scholarship and the two runners-up each received a $500 scholarship. Archibald-Bowers' winning essay will also be featured in the January 2007 issue of Cond'e Nast Traveler.

Given the topic: "Imagine that you are a travel journalist and you have been assigned to write a story about your country for Cond'e Nast Traveler. Remember that our editorial mission is Truth in Travel, and we like to go beneath the surface to show people more than just the usual tourist spots," Archibald-Bowers wrote:

"We shall begin with a hotspot for food. Midtown Restaurant in the middle of Road Town is the best place for a juicy hamburger with everything on it with a big plate of French fries. I know you've had hamburgers where you've come from, but I'm telling you, Gloria, the owner, has a secret ingredient that gives her hamburgers a Tortolan twist. You can enjoy your hamburgers with a refreshing drink of tamarind, soursop, guava, or passion fruit juice, all freshly made local drinks."

This annual contest is part of a tourism awareness program for school children between the ages of 8 and 12.

Each of the 26 finalists attending the Caribbean Tourism Conference will receive an eye-opening experience into the world of tourism. The contest, sponsored by Cond'e Nast Traveler, the Caribbean Tourism Organization, American Airlines, Pelican Bay Hotel, UNEXSO Grand Bahama, and the Grand Bahama ISLAND magazine, educates elementary school children in the Caribbean about the importance of tourism to their country.

Grade school children of the 32 CTO member countries were asked to submit a 250 word essay on the topic referenced above.

This year's 26 finalists in alphabetical order by country are:

Anguilla, Vince Webster

Aruba, Belinda Ho

The Bahamas, Shant'e Swan

Barbados, Ashley Harris

Belize, Vivian Courtenay

Bermuda, Sarah Hopkin

British Virgin Islands, Joseph Archibald-Bowers

Cayman Islands, Ashley Amador

Dominica, Jawole Mandisa Joseph

Dominican Republic, Virginia N'u~nez Mir