SKÅL INTERNATIONAL

It is the only international group uniting all branches of the travel and tourism industry. Skål members, the industry's managers and executives, meet at local, national and international levels to discuss and pursue topics of common interest, monthly at club level and twice a year nationally and internationally.

The first club was founded in Paris in 1932 by Travel Trade managers who had been on an educational tour of Scandinavia.

The idea of International goodwill and friendship grew and in 1934 the Association Internationale des Skål Clubs was formed with Florimond Volckaert as its first President who is considered "The Father of Skål".

From that modest beginning, Skål International has approximately 23000 members in more than 525 clubs throughout 87 nations. Most activities occur at local levels, moving up through National committes under the umbrella of Skål International, headquartered at The General Secretariat in Torremolinos, Spain.

Skål International is governed by an Executive committee of seven members, elected by the delegates to the General Assembly, which is held each October/November in conjunction with the Skål International World Congress

The Natal Midlands Club of Skal meet every third Monday at a different venue in Midlands or surrounding Drakensberg. We all form part of the toursim industry, from different fields of expertise, meeting on friendly terms to network and promote our businesses.

I have personally gained much from being a member and can in all honesty say, every meeting is worth attending!

We hope to involve younger members in our aim to set up a Young Skål club of the Midlands. It is one of the official structures of Skål International open to junior executives, young professionals and students either in or entering the travel and leisure industry. The benefits for students and young professionals is the opportunity to participate in areas related to the industry and network with Skål members. Young Skål is aimed at those youngsters striving to make Travel & Tourism their career but have not yet reached managerial level.

For more information please contact me on jennie@southafrica-safari.com