The first annual National Tourism Student Debate Competition was held at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess on Saturday evening.

Students from middle and senior schools across the Island tested their knowledge of Bermuda's Tourism industry and offered innovative suggestions throughout the night.

Minister of Tourism and Transport Ewart Brown attended the event and said he was impressed with the enthusiasm and energy of the students. He said the positive reactions he saw during his three-month tour of every school in Bermuda and the debate competition meant the younger generation were committed to getting the Island to refocus on tourism.

The competition was not set up in the traditional debate format. Students prepared two-minute answers to three questions. The first was how they would implement responsible tourism in Bermuda, the second was how they would encourage the youth to enter the tourism industry and the third dealt with what tourism related job they would like to have. Their answers showed that the students had taken the time to think "outside of the box".

Dellwood Middle School student Ivan Suanchez thought Bermuda would benefit from a 3-D theatre that showed a film of the Sea Venture so that visitors could feel like they were part of the crew that discovered the Island. Jennifer Looby of Sandys Secondary would implement responsible tourism by creating a small tax on tourists visiting by plane in order to off set the negative impacts of green house emissions produced from air travel. Azzura Lalani of the Bermuda High School said she would put recycling bins in hotel rooms and allow Bermuda families to offer accommodations to tourists so that families could earn money and tourists could learn about our culture.

Every student felt that exposure to the industry should start in primary schools so that tourism ignites interest from the get go. Many students wanted the exciting careers available in the industry to be better promoted and class field trips to all aspects of a hotel and other companies that cater to tourists. Thirteen-year-old Lorenzo Estepa-Cooke of Dellwood Middle School said he would ensure that the Bermuda College had more tourism-related courses and that all of them were accredited world-wide. Archer Hill of Clearwater Middle School said he would become a hotel manager because he would get paid handsomely, have complete control of staff and be able to set the tone of the establishment. Chauntee Thompson, 16, of CedarBridge Academy said she would become the Town Crier in St. George's because he looks like he loves his job and he gets to interact with tourists all day.

Ms Looby won the competition and received the title of Junior Minister of Tourism. Along with the title she will get a summer job in the Department of Tourism, a scholarship and a cell phone. As Junior Minister she will attend the Caribbean Tourism Organisation conference in Puerto Rico this October. Second place went to Ms Thompson and third place went to Travis Stevens of the Berkeley Institute.