On Friday, November 18, the Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board held a Tourism and Hospitality Career Fair at the Yellowman and Sons Auditorium in Grand Turk.

“The goal of our Tourism and Hospitality Career Fair was to provide an opportunity for students to see that careers in tourism and hospitality go far beyond those that initially come to mind. Through the Career Fair, we displayed that no matter what one’s passion is, there is almost always an opportunity to be working within the tourism and hospitality industry,” said Blythe Clare, TCI Tourist Board’s training manager and coordinator of TEAM, in a statement.

“We are extremely thankful for the attendance and attention of the students of the H.J. Robinson High School, as well as for the participation of the various business entities,” Claire added.

The fair aimed to showcase the diverse careers and potential in the national tourism industry.

Gift-form students from Grand Turk’s Helena Jones Robinson High School were invited to hear presentations from the Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board as well as the Junior Minister of Tourism of 2022-23, Chelsea Been of H.J. Robinson High School.

The attendees had the opportunity to network with representatives from various organizations including the Department of Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR), Beaches Turks and Caicos, the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force, the Turks and Caicos National Museum, Yummies Tasty Treats, the Turks and Caicos Islands Community College, Antonio Clarke, CHUKKA, Exclusive Escapes Tours, the Grand Turk Cruise Center, Aunty Nann’s Homemade Delights, Invest Turks and Caicos Islands, as well as the Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board.

The official welcome was provided by the Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board’s financial controller, Diedra Been, who also attended the H.J. Robinson High School, followed by a speech from Minister of Tourism, Chelsea Been and a presentation on tourism and the hospitality industry by the director of tourism, Mary Lightbourne.

“The Turks and Caicos Islands has one of the best tourism products in the world and it has provided for our citizens for decades. In order to maintain our rank amongst the best of the best, we need to invest into the future of our industry – beginning with our youth – which is what we sought to do through our Tourism and Hospitality Career Fair,” said Mary Lightbourne.

“We look forward to continuing to invest in our youth and would like to thank everyone who was involved in making this year’s Tourism and Hospitality Career Fair such a success” added Lightbourne.

After a month of activities titled Rediscover the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board concluded its Tourism Environmental Awareness Month on November 29.