Amarni Webster gives Anguilla a big voice in tourism’s future
October 11, 2026
Amarni Webster had barely been named the Caribbean’s Regional Junior Minister of Tourism when he began thinking about how his victory could raise Anguilla’s profile.
He believed the recognition could spark curiosity about his home island, encouraging people to learn more and perhaps plan a visit.
“Where is Anguilla? What is Anguilla?” the 15-year-old said, imagining the questions his victory might prompt. “I see this as an opportunity to bring in more tourists, but also to get my island’s name more out there.”
Webster won the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s (CTO) 2026 Regional Tourism Youth Congress in Georgetown, Guyana, on October 8, finishing first among 18 young delegates.
The Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School student’s presentation focused on nurturing young talent, building skills and creating pathways to meaningful employment in tourism.
Held during the State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC), the congress gave participants a platform to share their ideas under the theme ‘Caribbean Tourism Through the Eyes of Tomorrow’.
“I feel extremely proud of myself right now not only for winning the competition, but for also bringing my country back on the map,” the teenager told ronfanfair.com.
CTO Secretary-General and CEO Dona Regis-Prosper presents the award to Amarni Webster of Anguilla, winner of the 2026 Regional Tourism Youth Congress. Joining them are Carnival Corporation’s Philcher Grant (left) and Marie McKenzie, and Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Tourism and newly elected CTO Chair Charles ‘Max’ Fernandez (Photo contributed)
For Webster, the achievement was also a way to honour the family and community whose encouragement had carried him through his preparation.
His mother could not attend the congress, but her messages reminded him that distance did not diminish her support.
“One thing she always told me is that she may not be here for everything, but I will always feel her love and support wherever she is in the world,” Webster said.
She sent messages expressing her pride and love. His father also wrote about the happiness of having a son like him.
“That inspired me even more to want to win this competition, just so I can make them even more proud,” pointed out Webster.
That encouragement extended beyond his family, with Anguillans following his progress sending supportive comments through social media.
Webster also drew confidence from sport.
Active in track and field and football, he has represented Anguilla at the youth level in international football.
“I am very confident, but I don’t want people to mistake it for arrogance,” noted Webster.
Competition, he explained, has taught him to trust his preparation and recognize how confidence affects performance.
Webster brings that approach to public speaking, concentrating on expressing his ideas clearly and making sure his audience understands them.
“Sports builds confidence also,” he said.
Anguilla’s Minister of Health, Tourism and Sports, Cardigan Connor, said he had come to know Webster well over the previous six months and was impressed by his confidence and maturity.
He credited the team that helped prepare the teenager while emphasizing that Webster still had to deliver before the judges.
“The team that worked with him is really what helped to bring him that success,” said Connor. “But, of course, at the end of the day, he still had to deliver. And today he certainly did.”
Amarni Webster & Anguilla’s Minister of Health, Tourism & Sports Cardigan Connor (Photo by Ron Fanfair)
Connor’s own experience of competition spanned 15 seasons with Hampshire, from 1984 to 1998, where he played alongside the late West Indies fast bowler Malcolm Marshall, a close friend.
For the former English county cricketer, Webster’s maturity stood out as much as his performance.
“At 15, that is just a number,” Connor said. “His maturity is much more than 15.”
The minister also reminded Webster that the victory brought a responsibility extending beyond his home island.
“You are not just representing Anguilla now,” Connor told him. “You are representing the Caribbean.”
That regional role comes with an opportunity to develop his knowledge of the industry.
Webster will receive mentorship from a team representing Carnival Corporation, the congress’s lead sponsor, as he pursues his interest in tourism and hospitality.
“My career goal is just to continue to grow into tourism and hospitality, because this is just a stepping stone until I get where I want to get in the future,” he said.
Asked about his long-term ambitions, Webster said he wants to keep growing without setting an end goal.
His presentation connected those personal ambitions to the broader question of how young Caribbean people can gain the skills and experience needed to build careers in tourism.
Training, mentorship and meaningful employment can help students see a future in the industry within their own communities.
The congress gives them a forum to discuss those opportunities with regional leaders, although its lasting value will depend on what follows, how their ideas are considered and whether the connections they make open doors beyond the competition.
Webster’s interests in sport and tourism also intersect with Anguilla’s preparations to host the CTO’s inaugural Sports Tourism Summit from August 12–14, 2027. The gathering will bring together tourism and sports officials, athletes, event organizers and other partners to explore how sport can attract visitors and create economic opportunities across the Caribbean.
For a small destination, carefully chosen competitions and training visits could bring business to accommodation providers, restaurants and transport operators. Realizing those possibilities would require suitable facilities and opportunities for local businesses and young people to participate.
Webster’s victory gives Anguilla a young ambassador eager to share the island’s story with a wider audience.
The congress also recognized other emerging Caribbean voices.
Raia Cargill of Sunland Baptist Academy in The Bahamas placed second and will serve as junior CTO secretary-general, receiving mentorship from CTO Secretary-General and CEO Dona Regis-Prosper.
Jahneil McKenzie of Daryll Jordan Secondary School in Barbados finished third while Janica Adams of the Antigua and Barbuda College of Advanced Studies received special mention.
Amarni Webster flanked by Raia Cargill ® & Jahneil McKenzie (Photo contributed)
Helping coordinate the gathering was Nicolas Scott, the CTO’s Programme Coordinator in its Department of Resource Mobilization and Development. His work brought delegates together to exchange ideas and engage with the people shaping Caribbean tourism.
For Webster, the next step is to make the most of the opportunity to learn while carrying that same encouragement from home into his regional role.
He arrived in Guyana determined to make his family and island proud. He left with a Caribbean title and a wider platform from which to tell Anguilla’s story.
