Shahid Hamid appointed to serve int’l body on tourism ethics
Shahid Hamid FIH, chairman and founder of SH'otel Hospitality Management & Consultancy, has been appointed as an alternate member on the board of the World Committee on Tourism Ethics (WCTE).
He is the first Bangladeshi to be recognised with this honour, said a press release.
The appointment was confirmed during the twenty-fourth session of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) General Assembly held in Madrid, Spain on 01 December.
He will carry out his role and responsibilities for the period of 2021-2025.
Earlier this year, Bangladesh Tourism Board nominated Shahid Hamid FIH to represent Bangladesh.
The World Committee on Tourism Ethics is an independent and impartial body, subsidiary to the UNWTO General Assembly, which is responsible for monitoring, evaluating, and reporting on the implementations of the principles enshrined within the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism.
It works to address all those issues with ethical implications for society or the environment which are directly or indirectly linked to the tourism sector.
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.
Bangladesh Tourism Board, which is responsible for promoting tourism and providing necessary training in the field, carried out the nomination campaign to elect Shahid for the panel of WCTE this year.
The organisation 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 Shahid Hamid, a Bangladesh Tourism Board Nominee, as a member of WCTE for the period of 2021-2025," Bangladesh Tourism Board Chief Executive Officer Jabed Ahmed said, adding, "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."
Shahid expressed his excitement for the opportunity to serve 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 think tanks belonging to the international tourism fraternity. But more so, I am honoured 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 Hamid said.
Shahid, who is serving his fourth term as Chairman of Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Bangladesh Chapter, was 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 alumnus of Cornell University USA and the University of Dhaka.