As the 2026 Barbados Tourism Youth Congress got underway on Wednesday, youth and culture minister Senator Shane Archer challenged young people to step forward as leaders and help reshape tourism.
Speaking ahead of the debate at the Walcott Warner Theatre in the Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination at UWI Cave Hill, Senator Archer told participants that hard work, preparation and bravery remain essential in leadership, regardless of age.
“Leadership is not determined by the number of birthdays that you have celebrated. It is determined by your character, your discipline, your preparation, and your willingness to serve.”
He told students they should not shrink because of their age, but instead recognise that they have earned their place in the conversation and should speak with confidence:
“Youth is energy. Youth is imagination. Youth is possibilities that others may have stopped seeing, but talent and potential alone are not enough. You still have to prepare. You still have to put in the work when no one is watching, especially when no one is watching and when your moment comes, you have to be brave enough to step forward and own it.”
The minister highlighted the Junior Minister of Tourism programme, saying it is designed to ensure young people are included in decision-making spaces early, not just when they reach formal positions of authority.
“Young people should not have to wait until they hold a title before their ideas are taken seriously. They deserve a seat at the table.”
He pointed to past participants who have gone on to represent Barbados at the regional level, saying the initiative has consistently produced strong performers and ambassadors for the country.
“You will travel to Guyana to represent Barbados at the CTO Regional Tourism Youth Congress held as part of the State of Tourism Industry Conference. You will sit with the CTO board and directors and be asked to think like the people who helped shape tourism policy across the Caribbean. Just imagine that one of you will move from this stage at Cave Hill to a regional table in Guyana, carrying the voice, the ideas, and the pride of Barbados. That is not a small opportunity.”
Tourism must be understood as more than hotels and beaches, describing it as an industry built on people, culture and lived experiences, Senator Archer said.
“Tourism is culture. Tourism is people. It is a taxi driver who gives a visitor the first real welcome. It is the chef who tells the story of Barbados through food. It is the artist, the musician, the farmer, the event producer, the environmentalist and a storyteller who helps turn a visit into a real experience. Tourism is one of the places where culture becomes enterprise, where creativity becomes opportunity, and where the story of a community can be part of a story that we as Barbadians share with the world.”
Students were challenged to debate themes including multi-generational travel, social media, sustainable destination management, cultural industries and innovation, and the new age of tourism professionals:
“How do we remain competitive without losing who we are?”
He noted that artificial intelligence, digital storytelling and virtual experiences are already transforming tourism, and young people must help shape how the industry responds.
“Do not spend all of your energy trying to fit into the tourism industry as it exists today. Ask how we can improve it. Ask what is missing. Ask how it can become more sustainable, more creative, more inclusive, and more authentically Barbadian. The next great tourism experience may not begin in the boardroom; it may begin with an idea from one of you.”
Daryll Jordan Secondary School’s Jahneil McKenzie placed first in the debate, Springer Memorial’s Yadira Roberts claimed second place, and Talesa Boyce of Harrison College took third place.
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