A student of the Seventh-day Adventist School has been named the 2026 BVI Junior Ambassador of Tourism and will represent the Virgin Islands on the regional stage later this year.
According to the BVI Tourist Board and Film Commission, Mary Joseph emerged victorious following two rounds of competition in the annual Junior Ambassador of Tourism Contest, securing the opportunity to represent the Territory at the Caribbean Tourism Youth Congress in Guyana during the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC) in October.
Joseph impressed judges with her tourism strategy titled “TAG: Target. Authenticate. Guide,” a proposal that seeks to leverage social media and digital marketing to promote the Virgin Islands while addressing both over-tourism and under-tourism across the Territory.
As part of her presentation, she advocated for the use of platforms such as Instagram and TikTok to showcase the Virgin Islands year-round through targeted promotional campaigns.
One proposed initiative, “BVI Beyond the Horizon,” would focus on highlighting lesser-known attractions throughout the Territory, including Anegada’s flamingo population and other hidden gems. Another campaign, “BVI 365,” would spotlight the Territory’s calendar of annual events, including the BVI Spring Regatta, Poker Run, Music Festival, Emancipation Festival and New Year’s celebrations.
The BVI Tourist Board also congratulated the other top performers in the competition, including second-place finisher Caleb Stoutt of Elmore Stoutt High School, third-place finisher Arianna Irons of the Seventh-day Adventist School, and Naijah Vanterpool of Claudia Creque Educational Centre.
Officials further commended all ten students who participated, praising their enthusiasm, creativity and commitment to promoting tourism and the Virgin Islands.
The Junior Ambassador of Tourism programme is designed to cultivate tourism awareness among young people while developing future ambassadors for one of the Territory’s most important economic sectors.