Fourteen-year-old Blake Sonnenfeld has been crowned top Junior Tourism Minister after winning a prestigious debate.

Bermudian, Blake, a Saltus Grammar School student, won this year's Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) debate, held at the annual Caribbean Tourism Conference.

He was among 16 students, aged between 14 and 17, who represented their countries as Junior Ministers of Tourism at the annual Tourism Youth Congress, held as part of the CTO in Barbados.

"I plan to definitely sit down and have a long talk with the Ministry of Tourism about youth and tourism in Bermuda and using me to reach out to the youth in tourism,'' said Blake.

He qualified for the Bahamas event after becoming Bermuda's new Youth Tourism Minister following a contest earlier this year.

And not only is he now the Island's Youth Tourism Minister, he also becomes Chairman of the CTO Youth Congress.

Blake said he found the Youth Congress an interesting experience, allowing the students to say what they thought of tourism while at the same time promoting their countries.

He added: "I really enjoyed it, because not only was it sharing our views, but it was also showcasing our countries and saying 'this is my country, come and see my country'." As well as winning the title, Blake also won prizes including a laptop for himself and $1,000 for his school.

This year the students debated 'Culinary Tourism ? Where Food is the Attraction' and 'Incorporating the Music and Entertainment Industry as an Integral Part of the Tourism Product'. They also debated a question through which they were challenged to recommend one key area to strengthen the tourism sector in their respective countries.