Skål International
| Skål - International Association of Travel and Tourism Professionals (Skål International) |
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|---|---|
| purpose | Professional Association Tourism |
| Chair: | annually changing executive committee |
| Establishment date: | 1934 in Paris |
| Number of members: | around 15,000 worldwide, around 900 in Germany |
| Seat : | General Secretariat in Torremolinos (Spain) |
| Website: |
www.skal.org www.skal.de |
Skål International ( Skål for short) is a global professional association of the tourism industry with around 15,000 members in around 500 local clubs in around 83 countries. Skål is the only worldwide movement in which members from different branches of tourism have come together, in contrast to the otherwise mostly branch-specific associations such as B. DRV (German Travel Association) or BARIG . The association is a non-profit organization that does not pursue any economic goals of its own. Skål brings together all areas of the travel and tourism industry (hotels, travel agencies , tour operators, airlines and many more). Skål represents executives in tourism and creates a platform for communication and professional exchange among friends through meetings at local, national and international level.
The majority of the members are executives , e.g. B. hotel directors, sales managers, managing directors of tourism marketing companies , but also self-employed within the tourism industry, z. B. Business consultants , PR consultants in tourism and specialized travel agents .
According to its own statements, Skål does not represent any political camp. Any discrimination based on gender, age, race or religion, on the basis of political convictions or social status is excluded according to the statutes. Among other things, Skål supports charitable causes. The purpose of the club is to enable friendly discussions among otherwise strongly competing tourism professionals and to promote international understanding.
organization
The General Secretariat is located in Torremolinos (Spain) and manages and controls together with an elected members Executive Committee (executive committee ) associative life. Skål is based on local clubs, i. H. Associations that have been formed in a city or tourist region. The clubs themselves then form a so-called national committee at national level . (in Germany this is the NKSC, the national committee of the German Skål clubs). The purpose of the National Committee is to bundle national interests and to bring them into the global Skål community and enforce them. Despite the national committees, the individual clubs are members within Skål International (also known as AISC) and have equal rights.
Skål advertises with membership to create a basis for business relationships based on ethics , friendship and trust.
History and meaning of the name
The idea to found the company arose after a study trip to Scandinavia by Parisian travel agency specialists in 1934. The word Skål is of Scandinavian origin. In the old days, “Skål” was a greeting in the north, which was called to strangers as a sign of friendship. He was given a bowl (Skål = bowl) with a welcome drink.
The individual letters of the word Skål mean more than just another word for cheers. It is also an acronym that means:
S undhet = health
K ärlek = Love
Å lder = long life
L ycka = happiness
membership
By participating in events and congresses , members have the opportunity to establish contacts with industry colleagues around the world. The typical Skål meeting is formal, but still amicable in order to create a personal atmosphere. As part of the events, common lunches or dinners are usually organized.
Each club offers a variety of professional activities, the majority of which are specialist lectures during the monthly meetings. It is also possible to take part in meetings worldwide and not just locally.
The basic idea of the Skål “movement” is to build up a worldwide network on the basis of friendly and personal contacts , in which economic activities can develop. The Skål movement wants to consolidate international tourism and deepen mutual understanding between peoples.
Requirements for membership
The requirements for membership in a Skål club are:
- At least three years full-time activity in a management position or self-employment (upon admission) in the tourism, hotel or transport sector.
- Young Skål membership is possible for younger members and young managers. This requires an activity or training in a tourism profession, the member must not be older than 29 years.
- Only natural persons can become members of Skål, not companies.
Benefits for members
- Possibility of contact to currently around 15,000 tourism professionals and tourism companies worldwide
- Access to address and contact information via password-protected websites
- Access to lectures, discussions, seminars and an annual tourism forum
- Access to special offers, e.g. B. Price reductions and exclusive offers in the areas of hotel, rental car, ferry and cruise, training and business consulting
- The Skål-Journal appears once a year with 40 pages. The German Skål News (international) and international Skål News appear regularly.
- Skål's own “Florimond Volckaert Fund” supports Skål members and their families in emergency situations with money and services
- Skål International has been a member of the World Travel Organization since 1984 and contributes to tourism issues with its own projects (e.g. the annual ECOTOURISM Award to companies and projects that are committed to sustainable tourism)
criticism
Skål Germany lives from networking. The club has come under fire due to the fact that its clubs are more or less obsolete . Nevertheless, many clubs are successful in attracting new active members who are firmly anchored in professional life. Younger members are outnumbered, but the number of working members is still the largest. And the clubs live from exchanges with over 83 nations.
The problem of obsolescence applies particularly to European clubs. Worldwide, especially in Asia and South America , but also in European regions that are very active in terms of tourism, such as B. Turkey there are more younger members active. The main reason for this lies in the positive development of the tourism industry in the regions concerned. Among other things, the training courses in Europe are very long and very late in terms of age and only bring employees into management positions at an advanced age.
Skål clubs in Germany
In Germany, according to their own information, Skål clubs are represented in 21 towns or regions (as of May 2019) with their own presidents:
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Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ https://www.skal-deutschland.de/SKAL-Deutschland (accessed on May 19, 2019)