Bahraini Cultural Icon Vying to Be First Female Head of United Nation's Tourism Arm
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
