By Kyra Gillespie
Pakenham law student Tayla Young is vying for the title of Miss Tourism Australia.
The Miss Tourism Australia pageant promotes Australian tourism, trade, and cultural exchange and has previously crowned winners including Monika Radulovic, Sarah Czarnuch and Georgia Gibbs.
Contestants from all around Australia will be coming to Melbourne to compete for the two prestigious titles of Miss Tourism Australia and Miss Tourism Queen Australia on Sunday 5 November at Batman’s Hill on Collins in Melbourne.
The pageant will showcase the latest resort wear in a runway show where 25 delegates will be judged on Eveningwear, Personality and Question and Answer sections.
Tayla is currently undertaking a law degree and hopes to become a lawyer in humanitarian work or family law.
She said she felt that she had nothing to lose when she was approached by the Miss Tourism organisers and asked to run in the competition.
“I’ve never been in a beauty pageant before but I figured that Australia is such a good country to promote so why not do it,” she said.
“The best part about the pageant is that it’s not all about how you look and dress, it’s about the contestant’s views and what’s important to them, too.
“There’s a Question and Answer section in the competition that you can’t prepare for.
“I think it’s good to be put on the spot because then you say what you really think and believe.”
For this young law student, the many facets of Miss Tourism are what make the title look so appealing.
“I really like the focus on cultural diversity because Australia is such an amazing and culturally diverse place.
“It’s beautiful seeing so many different kinds of people living together as one country.
“To put it simply, you can walk down the same street and get pizza or Chinese for dinner, there’s just so many different cultures within our country.”
The two winners will then head to international competitions in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and China, with the international final being held in December 2017.
“I’m honestly so nervous,” Tayla said.
“But it’s also super exciting, I can’t wait.”
