Fourteen-year-old Ella-Rose Charles, a student of St Joseph’s Convent St George’s, is Grenada’s new Junior Minister for Tourism.
Charles emerged victorious following the final round of the National Tourism Youth Congress, an initiative of the Ministry of Tourism, the Creative Economy and Culture, designed to select Grenada’s representative to the Caribbean Tourism Organisation Regional Tourism Youth Congress, which will be held in Guyana, in October.
Fifteen-year-old Leah Charles of Happy Hill Secondary School placed second, while Micah Purcell-Munroe, also 15 and a student of St Joseph’s Convent, St George’s, secured third place.
Addressing the delegates at Kirani James Athletics Stadium on Friday, Minister for Tourism, the Creative Economy and Culture Hon. Adrian Thomas described the initiative as “a national investment in young minds.”
He encouraged participants to view themselves not only as beneficiaries of the tourism industry but as future leaders and innovators within the sector. “Tourism can make you entrepreneurs, managers, chefs, tour guides, event planners, content creators, marine experts, cultural ambassadors, hospitality professionals, policy advisers and even tourism ministers,” Minister Thomas told the students.
Permanent Secretary Desiree Stephen commended students from the 4 participating schools —St Joseph’s Convent, St George’s, Happy Hill Secondary School, Wesley College, and St Andrew’s Anglican Secondary School — for embracing the challenge and demonstrating exceptional creativity and insight.
“I purposely did not refer to this event as a competition,” she said, “because 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.”
As winner, Charles will also receive mentorship opportunities through the ministry, the Grenada Tourism Authority and the Grenada Hotel and Tourism Association, in addition to cash and other prizes.
The 2nd and 3rd-place finalists also received cash and other prizes, while all participants were presented with certificates of recognition and branded merchandise, courtesy of the Ministry of Tourism, the Creative Economy and Culture and the Grenada Tourism Authority. The winning school, St Joseph’s Convent, St George’s, was awarded a commemorative plaque.
Other participants were Makaylah Ramsey and the competition’s only male contestant, Dwight Thomas, both of 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 marks the second consecutive year that the ministry is hosting the National Tourism Youth Congress following a 6-year hiatus. The first round of the competition was held in April.
Friday’s proceedings were chaired by the 2025 Junior Minister for Tourism Kealah Baptiste, who encouraged the students to keep giving their best.
Ministry of Tourism
