Khaled Shahbo
Khaled Shahbo - Chair of Scottish Tourism Forum
Khaled Shahbo has been on the board of Scottish Tourism Forum since 2007. He was born in Cairo, Egypt, emigrating to the United States and gaining a BA Science (Hon) degree from the University of California before joining Enterprise-Rent-A-Car.
In 1994 Khaled moved to the UK to expand the Enterprise Band as Operation Manager in England and in 1996 was appointed Vice President at 28, the youngest in the Company's history. Khaled has been integrally involved in building and expanding the Enterprise network within Scotland and Northern Ireland and employs over 250 employees.
Khaled Shahbo commented 'I am looking forward to this role and new opportunities that lie ahead. This may be a challenging time for the tourism industry, but the industry is a resilient one and bounces back faster than most. STF will be providing an increasingly strong voice for tourism in Scotland to benefit the tourism sector in the future.'
When asked for comments recently by The Herald on the proposed plans for a Swiss style hotel school, Khaled commented 'I think it is a terrific idea which will raise standards in the industry. There have been concerns that the current degrees, whilst exceptionally good in theory, lack the practical application that the industry is looking for in future managers'.
Following Khaled's appointment as Chair, Iain Herbert, commented 'We are delighted Khaled will take on this new role; he brings with him a wealth of experience and knowledge at just the right time for the Forum. The Scottish Tourism Forum plays a vital role for the tourism industry as an influencer to Government policy on behalf of its members.'
