Janica Adams, a student at the Antigua and Barbuda College of Advanced Studies, has been named the new Junior Minister of Tourism for Antigua and Barbuda, winning the Tourism Youth Congress Competition held Thursday at the Sir John E St Luce Financial Centre.

A former Tourism Cadet and Leeward Islands debating champion, Adams stood out among seven peers representing secondary schools across the island to claim the Pete Charles of the Sir Novelle Richards Academy finished as first runner-up, while Soleil Williams of the Antigua Grammar School placed second.

Students were required to prepare one of four tourism-related topics for a first round that gave each participant three minutes to present, followed by a mystery topic round in which competitors had one minute to prepare and one minute to present.

As the local winner, Adams will go on to represent Antigua and Barbuda at the regional level at the CTO Youth Congress, held alongside the State of the Tourism Industry Conference, which brings together tourism ministers, policymakers, academics and private-sector leaders from across the Caribbean.

Minister of Tourism Charles Fernandez, who served as guest of honour at Thursday’s competition, congratulated Adams on her win. “The Tourism Youth Congress continues to provide an invaluable platform for developing the next generation of tourism leaders, and today’s winner has proven to be an exceptional ambassador for Antigua and Barbuda,” Fernandez said.

He added that: “I congratulate our new Junior Minister of Tourism on this well-deserved accomplishment and commend all the students who participated in this year’s competition. As you prepare to represent our nation, I encourage you to embrace this opportunity with confidence, knowing that your voice will help shape conversations about the future of tourism in our region.”

Many former participants in the programme have gone on to careers in tourism, government, law, communications, hospitality and international relations, making the youth congress an important pipeline for developing the Caribbean’s next generation of tourism leaders.

The 2026 CTO Tourism Youth Congress will be held in Georgetown, Guyana, from October 5th to 9th.