A 14-year-old student from St Joseph’s Convent St George’s has stepped into the national spotlight as Grenada’s newest Junior Minister for Tourism, after claiming top honors in the final round of the National Tourism Youth Congress.
Organized by Grenada’s Ministry of Tourism, the Creative Economy and Culture, this annual initiative serves a dual purpose: it engages young people in discussions about the country’s core tourism industry, and selects the national delegate that will represent Grenada at the Caribbean Tourism Organisation Regional Tourism Youth Congress, scheduled to take place in Guyana this coming October.
In this year’s final competition round, 15-year-old Leah Charles of Happy Hill Secondary School secured the runner-up position, while 15-year-old Micah Purcell-Munroe, also a student from St Joseph’s Convent St George’s, finished in third place.
Speaking to gathered delegates at the Kirani James Athletics Stadium last Friday, Tourism Minister Hon. Adrian Thomas framed the youth congress as far more than a simple contest, calling it “a national investment in young minds.” He pushed participating students to reframe their relationship to Grenada’s tourism sector, urging them to see themselves not just as casual beneficiaries of the industry’s success, but as its future leaders and creative innovators. “Tourism can open doors for you to become entrepreneurs, managers, chefs, tour guides, event planners, content creators, marine experts, cultural ambassadors, hospitality professionals, policy advisers and even tourism ministers,” Thomas told the assembled students.
Permanent Secretary Desiree Stephen echoed this framing, choosing to reject the label of “competition” for the event entirely. “It is more of a coming together of great young minds to discuss and present suggestions and recommendations on issues that are critical to the development, enhancement and sustainability of our tourism sector,” she explained. Stephen also commended all students from the four participating secondary schools — St Joseph’s Convent St George’s, Happy Hill Secondary School, Wesley College, and St Andrew’s Anglican Secondary School — for stepping up to the challenge, noting their standout creativity and sharp insight into tourism sector challenges.
Beyond the title of Junior Minister, winner Ella-Rose Charles will take home a range of additional rewards, including cash prizes, other recognition gifts, and ongoing mentorship opportunities through the Ministry of Tourism, the Grenada Tourism Authority and the Grenada Hotel and Tourism Association. Second and third place finalists also received cash prizes and other awards, while every participating competitor left with a certificate of recognition and branded merchandise, donated by the Ministry of Tourism and the Grenada Tourism Authority. St Joseph’s Convent St George’s, as the winning school, was also awarded a custom commemorative plaque.
Other competitors that took part in this year’s final round included Makaylah Ramsey and Dwight Thomas — the competition’s only male contestant — both from St Andrew’s Anglican Secondary School, Kitalia Modeste of Wesley College, and Mia Clovey and Anaiah Phillip of St Joseph’s Convent St George’s.
This year’s event marks the second consecutive year the Ministry of Tourism has hosted the National Tourism Youth Congress, after the initiative was put on a six-year hiatus. The first qualifying round of this year’s competition was held back in April, and Friday’s final proceedings were chaired by Kealah Baptiste, Grenada’s 2025 Junior Minister for Tourism, who closed the event by encouraging all participants to continue pushing for growth and engagement in the tourism sector.