Pata felicitates Shahabuddin Ahmed for travel journalism

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The award was given at the conclusion ceremony of the organization’s annual trade convention, Pata Travel Mart 2019, held at Nur-Sultan in Kazakhstan, said a press release


Pacific Asia Travel Association (Pata) recently recognized Editor of The Travel World Shahabuddin Ahmad with a gold award for his contribution to “Travel Journalism”.

The award was given at the conclusion ceremony of the organization’s annual trade convention, Pata Travel Mart 2019, held at Nur-Sultan in Kazakhstan, said a press release. 

The Pata Gold Awards is a global event that, each year, recognizes organizations and individuals for their outstanding initiatives aimed to generate positive changes in tourism practices in the Asia Pacific.

This year, 78 organizations and individuals were awarded the Gold and Grand Awards out of the 197 entries the program attracted. An independent judging committee reviewed the entries based on four principal categories of Marketing; Education and Training; Environment; and Heritage and Culture. 

Ahmad, who is both the founder and editor of the industry journal The Travel World, was selected as a winner particularly for the business article “Magical Wand for Bangladesh Tourism” published in the sixteenth anniversary issue of the circulation.

“I am honored to have my efforts recognized by such a body of global change agents as Pata,”said Ahmad upon receiving the award. 

“It is my heartiest wish that such appreciation and victory is repeated in the future by more Bangladeshis with increasing frequency as a result of more dynamic initiatives to boost our tourism and hospitality industry and economy,” he said.

Shahid Hamid FIH, executive board member of Pata Global and chairman of Pata Bangladesh Chapter, who received the award at the event in Kazakhstan on behalf of Ahmad, stated: “It was an honor to have stood before such a forum of international tourism statespersons and accept this very well-deserved prize on behalf of Ahmad, who, incidentally, has been one of the three instrumental individuals who set me on my own journey in this industry. 

"He is truly a person who recognizes potential in people and society as a whole and has, with his fine balance of knowledge and grace, set in motion the engines tourism and hospitality development in our country on many occasions.” Hamid added.

Hamid, who is also the executive director of Dhaka Regency Hotel and Resort, presented the plaque to Ahmad during a handover ceremony hosted by the hotel on Wednesday afternoon.

Currently, Ahmad is also serving as an Advisor to Pata Bangladesh Chapter and secretary general of SKAL International Bangladesh aside from being a Representative of Pata Compass and a regular contributor in many national dailies. 

He began his career in 1955 as a sub-divisional public relations officer under the Information Department of the Provincial Government of East Pakistan and gradually moved up in career until being made deputy chief of Tourism Cell for the Ministry of Defense, Pakistan in 1970.

Later, upon Independence of Bangladesh, for Ministry of Commerce, Foreign Trade Division, Bangladesh. Over the years, he served as a public relations spearhead for many government bodies, including Central Bank of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation, Bangladesh Services Ltd., and Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, etc. 

In the private sector, among his notable contributions, he has worked as a tourism consultant for organizations such as The City Bank American Express and ESCAP for a study on Establishment of Exclusive Tourism Zones in Bangladesh. He is frequently found on advisory boards in policy making bodies of both public and private sectors.
Source: https://www.dhakatribune.com

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