Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA)

Pembroke Pines, FL (August 28, 2009) - The Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) has announced the winners of the 2009 FCCA Children’s Essay Competition. Students for this year’s competition were invited to write an essay on the prompt: “During this global economic downturn, what can a destination depending on tourism do to persuade more ships to come to their destination?”

Understandably, it was difficult to choose the overall winner in each age category, as each essay showed the students’ excellence in education and displayed their overall knowledge and awareness in the tourism industry, along with their creativity in problem solving.

First-, second- and third-place winners were chosen from the Junior Division, consisting of students aged (between nine and eleven) and Senior Division (thirteen and fourteen). The 2009 winners are:

First Place: In the Junior Division was Netanya Keil from Trinidad & Tobago, and in the Senior Division, Shaquille Brown from Jamaica. The first-place winners will receive academic scholarships of $3,000 (U.S.) each, in addition to a separate monetary award, which will be given to their schools. The winners will also be invited to the FCCA Caribbean Cruise Conference & Trade Show in St. Lucia on Tuesday, October 27th, 2009, with their chaperon, where the winners will read their essays and accept their prizes.

Second Place: In the Junior Division was Terrikia Andia Benjamin from Antigua and in the Senior Division, Chloe Williams from Nevis. Second place winners will receive monetary awards of $1,500.

Third Place: In the Junior Division was Christian Alleyne from Barbados and in the Senior Division, Kalifah Aaleyiah Amoroso from Trinidad & Tobago. Third place winners will receive monetary awards of $1,000.

This year’s essay contest attracted entries from 19 nations. The aim of the contest is to assist students in furthering their education while letting them think about their own destination, its involvement in the cruise industry, and providing an opportunity to problem solve for the real world. To reward all the students for their great efforts, all other finalists will receive a monetary award of $200.

Created in 1972, the FCCA is a not-for-profit trade organization that provides a forum for discussion on tourism development, ports, safety, security, and other cruise industry issues and builds bilateral relationships with destinations’ private and public sectors. By fostering an understanding of the cruise industry and its operating practices, the FCCA works with governments, ports and private sector representatives to maximize cruise passenger, crew and cruise line spending, as well as enhance the destination experience and increase the amount of cruise passengers returning as stay-over visitors. For more information, visit F-CCA.com and @FCCAupdates on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.