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Antigua and Barbuda's top five essayists in the Condé Nast Traveler's "My Caribbean" Essay Contest, will be recognized, and the Country's Finalist to the regional contest announced, during the Ministry of Tourism's 2nd Annual National Recognition Event, that will take place on June 25, at the Multi Purpose Cultural Centre.

The top five are, Acreena Stowe, St. John's Catholic Primary School, Kirshian Francis, Grace Christian Academy, J'cory Lewis, Sunnydale Primary School, Dulani Thomas, Freemansville Primary School, and Terrikia Benjamin St. John's Catholic Primary School. The Country's Finalist, selected by the Caribbean Tourism Organization will be publicly revealed from amongst the five and will be called upon to read his/ her selected essay, during the event.

In addition to honouring the top five, recognition will be made to all the other participating students. Each student will receive either a Certificate of Participation or a Certificate of Merit while the students whose essays were selected as one of the Top 5 Essay entries, will each receive a Certificate of Distinction.

181 entries from 19 public and private primary schools were received for the Contest this year, which focused on the topic: If you could share a secret about your island with someone visiting for the first time, what would it be?

"This year's topic called for a descriptive essay - giving real life description of a selected local tourism product. The diverse and wide array of the tourism products highlighted by the students is very noteworthy. We note that our children are aware of our unique or special tourism product niches; and in some instances they have been quite creative with their thinking and choices", said Cynthia Simon, Manager of the Tourism Education Training and Awareness Unit in the Ministry of Tourism.

While Simon, expressed pleasure with the level of participation this year she added that in the future, "We wish to see more emphasis being placed on following the contest guidelines, for example, minimum of 250 words and not more than 500 words and more attention to better expression of ideas, thoughts, and the like."

The National Recognition Event organised and hosted by the Ministry of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Culture and Environment with the support of the Ministry of Education, Sports & Youth Affairs is proudly sponsored by: Nestlé Breakfast Cereals - Local Agent: A.S. Bryden & Sons, La Perla International Living, The Antigua and Barbuda International Literary Festival (ABILF) and Best of Books. Special contributors also include Blue Waters Antigua, Carlisle Bay Resort Ltd., Curtain Bluff Resort, Hawksbill by Rex Resorts and Hermitage Bay

The Condé Nast Traveler "My Caribbean" Essay Contest is now in its 16th year, and is considered a tool for ongoing tourism awareness and education targeting school children between the ages of 8 - 12. The Contest is fully endorsed by the Caribbean Tourism Organisation and is open to all CTO's member countries.