Tourism queen puts a different spin on Brand Jamaica

Correction & Clarification

In a Gleaner article titles 'Tourism queen puts different spin on Brand Jamaica' published on September 13, Chantal Zaky was said to have been crowned by the Jamaica Tourist Board and that her title was Miss Tourism Action Queen. Both are incorrect. Zaky's title is Miss Tourism Queen Jamaica and there is no affiliation with the Jamaica Tourist Board. The article also says Zaky wll be going to China to take part in the Miss Tourism Action Queen pageant.
The name of the pageant is Miss Tourism Queen International.
We regret the errors.

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The lawns of the historic Devon House proved to be the perfect setting for an interview with a Jamaican beauty queen. In fact, the location was chosen by the queen because, in her words, "it's a chill place and it would be good to get some ice-cream".

Dressed in a purple off-the-shoulder mini, with brown wedged heels, Chantal Zaky smiled as she was about to talk about her new crown and what it meant to her.

Many may remember Zaky as the second runner up in the recent Miss Jamaica Universe Pageant. She was a crowd favourite who stood out.

She hopes to regain the encouragement from her supporters, however, as she moves forward with her new title, Miss Tourism Action Queen.

As it pertains to Miss Jamaica Universe, Zaky has accepted the outcome as fate. She gushed about how overwhelmed and humbled she was when she found out she was among the top three. The modest beauty believes the reigning queen and friend, Shakira Martin, will represent Jamaica well and wishes her the best of luck.

Zaky was recently crowned Miss Tourism Action Queen by the Jamaica Tourist Board. She will now be focusing all her energy on marketing Jamaica by undertaking various projects which she said will showcase the country's true beauty.

Unseen jamaica

The self-professed "country girl" plans to change the way the tourism product is marketed. She plans to go beyond the gates of the resorts and hotels to reveal the Jamaica that tourists do not usually get to see.

"So many people come to Jamaica and all they get to see are these big hotels, but there is so much more to Jamaica. It's more than just Dolphin Cove and these other recreational sites. There's the people, the street dances, buying corn on the road and so much more," she said.

Zaky will travel to Xian, China, on October 15, where she will represent Jamaica in the Miss Tourism Action Queen pageant. She hopes to be crowned Miss Tourism Queen International which, she said will open doors for her to further enhance Jamaica's tourism product.

The vibrant, young beauty queen also has other dreams which she hopes she will be able to bring to fruition with her new title. She hopes, for instance, to one day become a role model for young girls. To these young girls, her one piece of advice is to do research, which she is the key for all who are considering entering a beauty pageant.

Zaky ended the interview with the mantra she lives by, "Passion is the only road that can successfully drive you to happiness."