The Tribune

BY DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

NATIONAL Junior Minister of Tourism 2016 Gabriele Josephs, of Grand Bahama, will represent the country next week in Barbados at the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) Congress to compete against other junior ministers in the region.

Mr Josephs, an 11th grade student at Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Academy in Freeport, won the national title in April. He is the first person from Grand Bahama to win the national title, and he is now setting his sights on winning the coveted regional title.  

On Friday, Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe and Tourism Director General Joy Jibrilu visited Mary Star of the Sea School to officially present both Mr Josephs and the school with a $500 cheque and the Bahamas Junior Minister of Tourism Speech Competition floating trophy.

Mr Wilchcombe commended Mr Josephs and said he believes he will do well representing the Bahamas in Barbados.

“You serve as an ambassador of the Bahamas,” Mr Wilchcombe said. “When you stand in Barbados next week Friday, you will be representing our country. So now you have even more at stake, you have the whole country looking up to you.”

Mr Wilchcombe said that the teenager had made a strong impression at the CTO in New York recently. 

“He was invited to say a few words and he blew everyone away. He has a gift; he is a talented young man and he demonstrated that to them, and he will be an outstanding young man one day,” said Mr Wilchcombe.

The tourism minister, who is a 1971 graduate of Mary Star of the Sea School, reminisced about his days there as a basketball player there and encouraged students not to give up on their dreams.

Mr Josephs thanked his mother and teachers for their support and assistance, and extended thanks to Minister Wilchcombe for the Junior Minister of Tourism programme.

He said he enjoyed working at the Ministry of Tourism this summer and visiting the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island.

“It enriched my mind and exceeded my expectation. The industry has hard-working, brilliant and talented people.  The tourism industry is a relatively stable, tirelessly resilient, and filled with opportunities to improve yourself and your standards,” he said.

Betty Bethel, Director of Tourism in Grand Bahama, said Mr Josephs has set a positive example for his peers.

“We wish you well at the competition in Barbados. We pray you will be victorious and become the first ever Junior Minister of Tourism in the Bahamas to win at the international level. We know he is very capable,” she said.