Skift Take
Shaikha Mai could become the first woman to lead the United Nations World Tourism Organization. She's a triple threat: a trailblazer in sustainability through heritage preservation, decades of public-private leadership, and an influential Arab female in global tourism. Mai could be just what the industry needs as it seeks to “build back better” post-Covid.
For the first time since its founding, a woman is vying for the post of secretary general of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) for the 2022-2025 term. Just a few weeks ago, the Kingdom of Bahrain nominated Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, president of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, as a candidate.
In accepting her government’s nomination, Mai expressed her support for continuing to push sustainable tourism, noting that she had witnessed “firsthand the impact [the cultural sector] has had in enhancing tourism and developing cross-cultural understanding.”
[caption id="attachment_412729" align="alignright" width="240"] H.E. Shaikha Mai from Bahrain is vying for the post of Secretary General of the UNWTO. – Source: Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities[/caption]
If selected at the 113th session of the executive council meeting, set to take place in Madrid on January 18-19, she would make history as the UNWTO’s first-ever female secretary general and her rise would mark a rare distinction in global travel leadership mostly dominated by men.
Aside from the historic nature of her candidacy, Mai’s extensive achievements in sustainable development through cultural preservation, including her public-private leadership and funding strategies which helped catapult Bahrain
