Ahmad Shafiq's Vision Takes COTHM into Global Aviation and Travel Education
Ahmad Shafiq’s vision for COTHM has never been limited to hotel management. As Pakistan’s travel, tourism and aviation industries continued to evolve, COTHM expanded its educational offerings to prepare students for emerging international career opportunities. A major milestone came in 2013, when COTHM became an Authorized Training Center (ATC) of IATA Canada. COTHM’s official history identifies this as part of its expansion into Travel, Tourism & Airline education.
Recognizing the Growth of Aviation and Tourism
The decision to enter travel and airline education reflected Ahmad Shafiq’s approach to identifying sectors with strong employment potential.
The aviation and tourism ecosystem requires professionals in travel agencies, airlines, tour operations, customer service, reservations, ticketing and tourism management. COTHM subsequently developed programs that include travel, tourism and airline management, with qualifications and training connected to international industry requirements.
International Standards, Local Talent
The significance of the IATA connection is that it helped introduce Pakistani students to an internationally recognized aviation and travel training framework. COTHM’s travel and tourism programs highlight career opportunities in airlines, travel companies, cruise lines and tourism organizations.
For Ahmad Shafiq, this represents an important element of his broader educational philosophy: Pakistani students should not be trained only for the local employment market; they should be prepared to compete in the international marketplace.
Building a Global Workforce
he IATA chapter is therefore part of a much larger story. Ahmad Shafiq began COTHM in 2002 with only 13 students after returning from the UK. More than two decades later, COTHM reports an alumni community of more than 100,000 students around the world.
The expansion into aviation and travel education demonstrates how the original vision continued to evolve with the changing global economy.
From hospitality education in 2002 to internationally aligned travel and airline training, Ahmad Shafiq’s COTHM journey illustrates how one educational vision can develop into a platform connecting Pakistani talent with global industries.
