UNWTO Selects BTB Nominated Candidate as the First Bangladeshi to Be on the Board of World Committee on Tourism Ethics
DHAKA – 20 DECEMBER 2021 – Shahid Hamid FIH, Chairman and Founder of SH’otel Hospitality Management & Consultancy, has been appointed as Alternate Member on the board of World Committee on Tourism Ethics (WCTE) during the twenty-fourth session of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) General Assembly held in Madrid, Spain on 01 December 2021. He was nominated by Bangladesh Tourism Board earlier this year to represent Bangladesh and is the first Bangladeshi to be recognized with this honor. Shahid, who is also serving his fourth term as Chairman of Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Bangladesh Chapter, will carry out his role and responsibilities on the new composition of the WCTE for the period of 2021-2025.
The World Committee on Tourism Ethics is an independent and impartial body, subsidiary to the UNWTO General Assembly, responsible for monitoring, evaluating, and reporting on the implementations of the principles enshrined within the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism. Its task is to address all those issues with ethical implications for society or the environment which are directly or indirectly linked to the tourism sector.
Bangladesh Tourism Board, which was formed in 2010 under the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism as the national tourism organization of Bangladesh and is responsible for promoting tourism and providing necessary trainings to that effect, carried out the nomination campaign that led to the selection of Shahid on to the panel of the WCTE this year. The organization, recognized for its activities to enrich the standard of tourism in the country and showcase its attributes to the world via the renowned program “Beautiful Bangladesh”, sent in the nomination as an initiative of the Golden Jubilee national independence celebration and in hopes of motivating post-pandemic tourism revival for the industry.
“I feel proud to have Mr. Shahid Hamid, a Bangladesh Tourism Board Nominee, as a member of WCTE for the period of 2021-2025. In my opinion the gentleman has a variety of experience in the tourism and hospitality industry for many years. I am confident that he would be able to discharge his responsibilities through his activities Bangladesh would be represented properly.”- Mr. Jabed Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer of Bangladesh Tourism Board expressed his gratitude on this prestigious appointment.
Each new composition of the WCTE, which includes the chairperson, eight members, and three alternate members, serves a period of four years upon being formed by the recommendation of the Selection Board from a pool of candidates nominated by member nations of the UNWTO. The selection procedures take place every alternate year. Shahid is excited to be serving as an international tourism statesperson alongside a group of such illustrious individuals.
“Without a doubt, this is a great personal achievement for me to be recognized and selected by the UNWTO to serve beside such a body of global thinktanks belonging to the international tourism fraternity,” said Shahid, “but more so, I am honored to be able to represent Bangladesh before the world towards the noble efforts undertaken by the WCTE, especially as we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of our independence. I look forward to doing justice to the confidence placed in me.”
Shahid was, incidentally, also the first and only Bangladeshi to be elected as Executive Board Member of Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Global in the seven-decade history of the organization during the 2018 annual summit of PATA. Aside from his current roles in WCTE and PATA, he is also on the board of SKAL International Bangladesh and holds a Fellowship from the Institute of Hospitality, UK. He is an alumni of Cornell University USA and University of Dhaka.