Where Tourism Meets Values

Speakers:

Irshad A. Cader, Ph.D

CEO, Globothink, halal industry consultants, Australia. 

Mr. Irshad Cader is a highly experienced business professional with over three decades of leadership and management roles in renowned international businesses covering Retail, Travel retail, Food & Beverage, and Hospitality sectors across Australia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Among his notable accomplishments is introducing the Travel retail concept for the first time at all International Airports in Saudi Arabia, known as "Saudi Duty-Free." In addition, he too played a pivotal role in the establishment of state-of-the-art VIP travel lounges at both international and domestic airports in Saudi Arabia. In addition, he was actively involved in enhancing the services at the Jeddah and Madina International Airports for the pilgrims visiting the holy sites of Makkah and Madina. Mr. Cader has received several international awards in the Private and Government sectors. Currently, he is actively pursuing a PhD in Halal Industry Management at INHART – IIUM Malaysia. Renowned as an international speaker, he is a driving force in the Global Halal Tourism industry. 

Viana Hassan, Ph.D is actively involved in academic and research work in Tourism & Cultural Management in Lebanon and Malta. She is the Founder and CEO of European Tourism and Events training Academy, She got her Ph.D. in Tourism Management and Cultural from Saint Joseph University, Beirut. Her Thesis was entitled “Medical Tourism in Lebanon”. She has more than 21 of tourism experience in many related Travel and Tourism Fields, varying from airline sales experience (MEA), to Co-management several Lebanese Travel agencies. She is an Experienced Lecturer with more than 16 years’ experience at several universities in Lebanon (Lebanese University, A.U. L, Lebanese International University, Islamic University), the Institute of Tourism Studies, STC higher education partner of Wolverhmapton University UK and American University of Malta (Malta), GBS Malta, Scholars School system (UK) with a demonstrated history of working in the Higher education industry, Skilled in Tourism Management, Customer service, Branding, Event Management, Airline Business Management, Niche Tourism, Business operations management, Customer acquisition and Medical Tourism. Dr. Viana has participated in international conferences (Expo Dubai 2020, 7th Medical Tourism World Summit..) including Athens, Paris, Vienna, Dubai, Valencia, India, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey etc....

Datuk Seri Dr H Mohd Khalid bin Harun JP is a distinguished Malaysian tourism industry leader who currently serves as the President of the Malaysia Tourism Agency Association (MATA), the nation's premier tourism agency organization. A holder of doctoral qualifications, he has been instrumental in elevating Malaysia's position in the global Islamic tourism landscape through his leadership as Chairman of the World Islamic Tourism & Trade Expo (WITEX), formerly known as the Asia Islamic Tourism and Trade Expo (AITEX), as well as Chairman of the World Cultural & Arts Festival (WCAF) and the World Islamic Tourism Council (WITC). 

Associate Professor Hera Oktadiana, Ph.D, CHE is an internationally recognized tourism scholar and researcher who brings extensive academic expertise to her role as co-founder of the HaSIM Forum. Hera is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Griffith Institute for Tourism, Griffith University, and at James Cook University, Australia. She also serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Brawijaya, Indonesia, and as an Associate Professor in the postgraduate and doctoral programs at the Trisakti Institute of Tourism, Indonesia. Hera holds a Ph.D. from the School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and is a Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE), accredited by the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute, USA.

Hera has served as the Head of the Hotel Management and Hospitality and Tourism departments at BINUS University, BINUS International, and Bunda Mulia University. Additionally, she has held the position of Deputy Manager for International Hotel and Tourism at Trisakti School of Tourism.

Her research areas include tourist behaviour, Muslim/Halal tourism, tourism sustainability, and tourism education. She has published her scholarly works in various reputable international tourism journals indexed by SCOPUS, as well as in book chapters and an edited book titled “Delivering Tourism Intelligence: From Analysis to Action.” Several of her academic works and publications have received awards, including from the Ministry of Research and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, the Council for Australasian Tourism and Hospitality Education (CAUTHE), and Wiley Publication.

Hera is also a frequent speaker at numerous international conferences and events. She is actively involved as a member of the Editorial Board in renowned international tourism journals, serving as a guest editor, review editor, editorial advisory board member, regional editor, and associate editor. She is also the founder of Muslim Women in Tourism & Hospitality (M.WiTH).

Dr. H. Muhammad Rahmad, S.Ag. S. Par, MM, MITM is a distinguished tourism professional with over three decades of multifaceted experience spanning academia, corporate leadership, and diplomatic service. Currently serving as Director of Akademi Pariwisata Gajah Mada and CEO of PT. Digital Nusantara Travelindo (UmrohAja), he brings a unique combination of 14 years as CEO in tourism corporations, 12 years leading international tourism associations, and 17 years as senior diplomatic staff at Indonesian embassies handling tourism and economic cooperation.

As a tourism lecturer at Institut Pariwisata Trisakti Jakarta and Executive Director of Pusat Kajian Pariwisata Indonesia, Rahmad bridges theory and practice in Indonesia's tourism sector. His expertise encompasses halal tourism, sustainable development, digital transformation, and international business strategy. A prolific scholar, he has published 9 international journal articles in 2025 alone, with research focusing on AR/VR technology adoption in travel agencies and the ITACOM (Immersive Technology Adoption for Competitive Advantage) Model.

Together, let's create tourism that respects faith, protects the planet, and includes everyone.