Junior minister of tourism credits debate training and family roots for competition win

By Kisean Joseph

kisean.joseph@antiguaobserver.com

Janica Adams says a childhood immersed in tourism and years of competitive debating gave her the foundation to claim the title of Junior Minister of Tourism, and she believes the experience reflects a broader shift in how young Antiguans and Barbudans engage with the island’s most vital industry.

Adams, who is currently studying industrial technology at the Antigua and Barbuda College of Advanced Studies, said her background as a tourism cadet and Leeward Islands debating champion proved decisive, particularly during the competition’s mystery question segment, a round that tests spontaneous knowledge of tourism without the aid of a prepared script.

“Anyone can read a script, but speaking on a topic spontaneously is a very different task,” she said. “Having done impromptu speaking in primary and secondary school, I was already versed in the techniques of a good impromptu speech.”

The mystery question, which Adams described as her favourite segment, challenged contestants to create a recipe for the perfect tourism experience in Antigua and Barbuda. She said she drew inspiration from cooking and television food programmes to shape her response, having already memorised key points she intended to weave into her answer regardless of the topic assigned.

“When I heard the question I immediately began writing my key statements and then took a few deep breaths before answering,” she said.

Adams said her connection to tourism predates the competition by years. Both of her parents worked in the industry, and she credits that early exposure with giving her a practical understanding of tourism that formal training alone could not provide.

Her regional debating experience, she added, brought a different dimension, sharpening not just her confidence but her approach to scripting and delivery at a level beyond local competition.

Now holding the title, Adams is pushing back against what she calls a widespread misconception about who tourism serves.

“It is a popular misconception that tourism only matters to hotel workers and taxi drivers, but tourism is everyone’s business,” she said. “As a country and a Caribbean region, we have a responsibility to protect our islands and tourism industries.”

She described Antigua and Barbuda as a twin island gem in the Caribbean and expressed optimism about the role young people are playing in shaping its future noting that many of the country’s youth are pursuing less traditional career paths that nonetheless circle back to tourism and the broader orange economy.

For Adams personally, the title carries deep symbolic weight. She said winning the Junior Minister of Tourism competition represents a full circle moment, having first been introduced to the concept during her time as a tourism cadet.

“This title means I have made something of myself,” she said. “From just being a tourism cadet, where I was first introduced to the idea of being a junior minister of tourism to now holding the title myself, this is a very full circle moment.”

Despite studying a field far removed from traditional tourism roles, Adams says she has no intention of stepping back from advocating for her country.

“Though my career path may be unconventional, I will always be an advocate and ambassador for my country no matter my career,” she said.