When Echaunti Swan was ten years old she was known to go the extra mile to make friends and family feel welcome at her home.At sleepovers she was the one to prepare the snacks and cater to her girlfriends, while at holiday meals she would jump at the chance to help her mother get food on the table.Today, Ms Swan is the Island’s first beauty contestant to be named Miss Hospitality — after being handed the brand new title (in partnership with the Bermuda Hospitality Institute and Miss Bermuda Pageant) in June.The 24-year-old has spent the past few months serving as an ambassador for the Island. The role demands that she promote hospitality-related events and experiences on social media and represent the hospitality industry at various functions including the ‘More Pink Bermuda’ launch, Gosling’s Absolut Best Bartender Competition and Bermuda Day 2014.She has also had the chance to sample a variety of tourism-related services and experiences, including a tour with Dolphin Quest Bermuda, one-night stays at a handful of lavish hotels and meals at restaurants across the Island.“It has been really fun,” she said of the experience so far. “I have been having a great time and have been able to experience first hand what those services are like from a tourist perspective and to see what local attractions are really like.“I also have a better appreciation for what tourists go through when they come to Bermuda and when I actually meet new people I can tell them where to go and what those places are like from my perspective.”Ms Swan prides herself in being an outspoken, confidant and sociable person. Two years ago she worked as a youth ambassador with the Department of Tourism and said it was great to “get back into the swing of things” as Miss Hospitality.Ms Swan grew up admiring the girls who took part in pageants like Miss Bermuda for being educated, driven and beautiful. “They were the whole package,” she explained.She entered the local beauty contest just two days before the application deadline and admitted she was surprised to have fared so well.In addition to being named the pageant runner-up, behind current Miss Bermuda Katherine Arnfield, Ms Swan also walked away with the title of Miss Congeniality.She said there was fierce competition between herself and some of the other girls in the pageant vying for Miss Hospitality; they had to write a short essay to say why they would be the best pick, attend a handful of industry events and conduct a good interview.“When I got it I was shocked, but I was ready to get the ball started and get involved in the hospitality industry and show people what I have to offer,” she said.“My mom and aunties said I couldn’t have got a better award because everyone knows I am very outspoken and loved working in the hospitality field, so it was a great opportunity for me to have.”One of the challenges of the role has been managing some of her Miss Hospitality appearances with her current job as a hostess at Pickled Onion, but thankfully her employers have been extremely accommodating.She said one of the biggest rewards that come with the title is having the chance to empower young women to push for their goals and have faith that anything is possible. Ms Swan already has a degree in broadcast journalism and public relations from Western Kentucky University and is looking to apply to the London College of Communications in the near future.By age 30, she wants to run her own public relations firm. She believes the contacts she has made in the hospitality industry will also help to get her one step closer to her goal.For now, Ms Swan said her exciting role has opened her eyes to all the great potential Bermuda has to offer.She said: “A lot of people think there is not a lot for tourists to do, but if you look at it some people from off the cruise ships are only here for two days. In that time they can go to Harbour Nights or Destination Dockyard, swim with the dolphins, go snorkelling or on a glass bottom boat.“Another thing that has been rewarding is to see people who like to come back and not because of just the activities, but because the people are so warm and hospitable. That’s why Bermuda is so much more and that’s why it’s unique. I love to be an ambassador for our Island.”To follow the Island’s first Miss Hospitality throughout her reign, you can follow her on Facebook (www.facebook.com/echaunti.swan/followers) or Instagram. You can also read updates when you visit her blog: http://misshospitalitybda.tumblr.com.