A day designed to teach the youth of Bermuda about tourism was successful with almost 400 students signing up to participate in the first ever National Youth Tourism Day.

Held on Friday, May 26, students converged on the BAA field at noon and were given the opportunity to sign up for one of four tracks: Biz Track ? green shirts; Games and Play ? yellow shirts; Activity Central ? blue shirts; and Beds, Boats and Bites ? pink shirts.

The event co-ordinated by Department of Tourism enticed students with half a day off from school and VIP tickets to the Chris Brown show on June 8. The first to fill out the form and return it to HOTT 107.5 studios were selected.

Biz Track featured the business side of tourism. Students had the opportunity to visit the Department of Tourism with Manager/Promotional Services, Brenton Richardson as a guide. The kids took a trip to Fairmont Southampton to watch corporate event planning, namely setting up a prom. They also participated in an inside out trip to the Airport where they met Premier Alex Scott's son Lawrence Scott, a pilot for JetBlue Airlines.

Games and Play was geared towards students who had an interest in the sports and entertainment sector of tourism. The students visited local performers including a Gombey troupe and a pipe band and entertainment and sport professionals.

Activity Central focused on the many tourists destinations Bermuda has to offer. Students visited Sea Venture Water Sports at Waterlot Inn Dock, Dolphin Quest at Maritime Museum and took a ride on Fantasea's Looking Glass boat.

The final track Beds, Boats and Bites showed students how important hospitality still is in our Island. They took a visit to Fairmont Southampton, Willow Stream Spa, a cruise ship and visited a chef to learn about the food and beverage side to hospitality.

At the end of the afternoon, students were transported back to Bermuda Athletic Association (BAA) field to wrap up the festivities with pizza and beverages.

A student from each track participated in a panel discussing the importance of tourism with Dr. Ewart Brown.

Local DJ Vybez Alliance was on hand to play the latest tunes to entertain the students. After completing a survey, the students were given VIP Chris Brown tickets.

Brenton Richardson, head organiser, believed it was a successful and positive event where students benefited from the hands on learning style.