FCCA FOUNDATION FOR THE CARIBBEAN ESSAY COMPETITION
Pembroke Pines, FL. – (March 31, 2005) – What Is My Country Doing Or Should Do To Encourage Cruise Passengers To Return As Land-Based Vacationers?” is the theme for this years’ 2005 Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) Children’s Essay Contest.
Students from 31 Caribbean destinations were invited to participate in this years’ event. The contest, which is sponsored by the association’s charitable arm, the FCCA Foundation for the Caribbean, was created to encourage children’s creativity and generate awareness of the vital role cruise tourism plays in the Caribbean. Now in its tenth year, the contest is conducted in two categories: a junior division for children ages 12 and under and a senior division for children ages 13 - 16 years.
One of the primary aims of the contest is to assist students with advancing their education through the provision of monetary scholarships. The first, second and third place winners from each age category will be awarded academic scholarships of $2,500, $1,500 and $1,000, respectively, with monetary awards given to their schools. In addition to the scholarship, the first place winner in each age category will be invited to read their essay and accept their prize at the ninth annual FCCA Caribbean Cruise Conference & Trade Show in St. St. Kitts, September 27-30, 2005.
Contest rules and guidelines are disseminated through the Ministry of Tourism or tourism office in each destination. Each country’s selection committee must submit their entries to the FCCA on or before Friday, August 5, 2005.
For further information on the contest, please contact Victoria S. Lalta, tel.: (954) 441-8881, fax: (954) 441-3171, email: vlalta@f-cca.com or the local Ministry of Tourism in each destination.
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FCCA is a trade association composed of 13 Member Cruise Lines: Carnival Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises,Costa Cruise Lines, Cunard Line, Disney Cruise Line, Holland America Line, MSC Cruises (USA) Inc., Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Radisson Seven Seas Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Topaz International Cruises and Windstar Cruises. It was created in 1972 by its Member Lines operating more than 100 vessels in Florida, Caribbean and Mexican waters, in order to discuss and exchange views on issues relating to legislation, tourism development, ports, safety, security and other cruise industry issues.