Mahmood Khan gives keynote at tourism conference on universal values and cultural diversity in the 21st century
Mahmood Khan, a professor in the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management in the Pamplin College of Business, was invited by the United Nations World Tourism Organization to serve as a keynote speaker at the international conference, “Universal Values and Cultural Diversity in the 21st Century: How Can Tourism Make a Difference.”
Held in Yerevan, Armenia, the conference was hosted by the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia and co-organized with the United Nations World Tourism Organization. The goal of the event -- drawing together high-profile international public and private sector representatives and distinguished experts -- was to mainstream into the common agenda how tourism can contribute to tolerance, respect, and mutual understanding to better promote universal values and cultural diversity in the 21st century.
At the conclusion and in the framework of the conference, leading Armenian tourism industry stakeholders signed the Private Sector Commitment to the United Nations World Tourism Organization Global Code of Ethics for Tourism.
As a participant, Khan represented Pamplin College, Virginia Tech, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. Khan’s presentation was entitled “Comparative Overview of the Impact of Hospitality and Tourism Industry on a Nation’s Development: Opportunities and Constraints with reference to Armenia.”
As a result, Khan has been asked by the U.S. Agency for International Development to serve as a part-time consultant on curriculum development for four Armenian universities: Russian Armenian Slavonic University; Armenian State University of Economics; American University of Armenia; and European Regional Academy.
Khan received a master's degree and doctoral degree from Louisiana State University. He joined Virginia Tech in 1987 and has been in the National Capital Region since 1998.
