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15131 members in 368 clubs

Throughout 83 nations

Dates: 

29/10/2016 - 00:00 to 02/11/2016 - 00:00

http://www.skalcongress.org/#!registration/c1rd1

                                                                                                                                     Delegates attending next month’s Skål Asian Area Congress in                                                                                                                                            Singapore will hear about the latest initiatives from the island                                                                                                                                            state’s Tourist Board on the use of technology to help                                                                                                                                                            international visitors.

                                                                                                                                     Keynote speaker Mr. Quek Choon Yang, Chief Technology Officer                                                                                                                                        at the Singapore Tourism Board, will explain how the STB is                                                                                                                                                applying technology in various forms to ensure a seamless visitor                                                                                                                                      experience for all tourists. Mr. Quek will also explain how new                                                                                                                                            business models in aviation, accommodation and ground transport such as Uber, Airbnb and Grab are both disrupting and revolutionising the overall travel experience.

Quek Choon Yang joined the Singapore Tourism Board in September 2015 as its Chief Technology Officer to lead the Technology Transformation Office. He is responsible for spearheading and implementing technology initiatives within the Board, providing counsel and direction in all technology-related issues, as well as creating a culture of technological dexterity.

Women in Travel

Singapore-based TV journalist Anita Kapoor will present a keynote address on ‘Women in Travel’. Miss Kapoor was born in Mumbai and raised in Singapore – her home since 1978. Anita has presented shows on a number of regional TV networks including Channel NewsAsia as the host of the popular Treasure Hunt series.

Leading travel industry figures joining the Congress panel discussions include Pierre-Charles Grob, Managing Director Asia – Fastbooking; Alan Liu, Regional Lead - Business Development and Partnerships at Grab, and Selina Chavry, Global Managing Director - Pacific World.

Programme

The 45th Skål Asian Area Congress takes place at One Farrer hotel, Singapore from 14–17 July with delegates attending from Skål Clubs across the Asia Pacific region. The Congress opens on Friday 15 July with the traditional flag parade and the opening address from Michelle Sandhu, President of Skål International Singapore. 

The Skål Asian Area AGM is being held on Saturday 16 July at the same venue, followed by luncheon sponsored by Skål International Bahrain as the host club for the 46th Congress in 2017. The programme concludes with a Gala Dinner and the presentation of Skål Asian Area Awards.

Skål International Singapore has negotiated preferential air fares for delegates on Scoot using a dedicated promotional code.

For more details, please visit: http://www.skalasia.org

To register: https://ewp.eventsair.com/skal-asia-area-congress-singapore/registration/Site/Register

 

More details from:

Michelle Sandhu                       Skål International Singapore Secretariat

sandhum@clubhotel.com             namyik@singnet.com.sg

Skål International United Kingdom National Assembly

Dates: 

22/09/2016 - 00:00 to 25/09/2016 - 00:00

The 63rd National Assembly Skål International United Kingdom will be taking place in Belfast from 22-25 September 2016. The host hotel will be the Radisson Blu Hotel, Belfast. Full programme and booking information will be posted week commencing 22 February www.skalni.com

www.skalni.com

At 7pm on Saturday 16 April 2016 Ecuador suffered a massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake in the province of Manabi, in northwest of the country.

The resulting damage and loss of life has been heart-breaking with the death toll 602 (and rising) and thousands of injured and displaced persons and more than 25,000 have been left homeless.

The death toll, exceeds that of the earthquake in Peru in 2007 and makes Ecuador’s earthquake the deadliest in South America since the one that stroke Colombia in 1999, which killed more than 1,000 people.

Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa interrupted a trip to Europe to return home and back in his country noted that this is "the greatest tragedy of the last 67 years", since the Ambato earthquake on 5 August 1949.

Hundreds of emergency workers arrived from Colombia, Mexico, El Salvador, Spain and other countries to help in the rescue and recovery mission and the first stage has now concluded but the hard work or rebuilding lives, homes and businesses now starts

I had the opportunity to meet with Skål International Ecuador President, Fabrizio Garcia Martinez at the recent Skål Latin American Congress and he explained the severe damage done to the region and in particular the negative impact on the tourism industry.

At the same meeting the Northern Latin American Committee pledged 10% of their funds to assist Ecuador and I promised that Skål International would launch an appeal to ask Skålleagues to assist in helping the country regain its feet.

To this end may I please ask all Skål clubs and national committees to consider donating an amount, no matter how small, to assist our friends and colleagues in Ecuador.

As has happened in previous appeals, Skål International will collect the monies and then work with Skål Ecuador in establishing the most effective use of the monies, with a fully audited trail.

To pledge your assistance please use the following bank account:

BANCO BILBAO VIZCAYA ARGENTARIA, TORREMOLINOS, SPAIN

IBAN: ES57 0182 0481 6902 0167 1004

SWIFT: BBVAESMM

 

Skålleagues lets reach out and show our true Skål spirit.

 

Nigel A Pilkington

President

Skål International

DATELINE, CA – May 12, 2016 – A majority of travelers in the United States spend more money per trip, travel more frequently and stay longer when destinations offer sustainable practices, according to a report released today by Sustainable Travel International and Mandala Research.

The 2016 Role of Sustainability in Travel & Tourism report revealed compelling results, most notably that 60 percent of U.S. travelers (105.3 million) have taken a “sustainable” trip in the last three years and that these travelers are extremely valuable to the tourism industry. These travelers spend more (on average $600 per trip), stay longer (seven days compared to four days) and bring higher benefits to local communities including job creation, giving-back and volunteering.

Visit California, a non-profit organization that works in partnership with the state’s travel industry to develop marketing campaigns that drive tourism to the state, was a lead sponsor of the study. “The findings show that tourists, especially California tourists, value and intentionally seek sustainable tourism options,” said Visit California President & CEO Caroline Beteta. “A sustainable mindset is woven into the California brand, and travelers who come here will find California’s travel industry is leading the way in sustainable practices.”

This inaugural report on sustainable travel included responses from 2,292 leisure travelers. They answered nearly 40 questions related to their understanding of sustainable travel, perceptions, what motivates them to book travel and much more.

According to Laura Mandala, Managing Director of Mandala Research, “We looked at the key components of sustainability, specifically, environmental, social, cultural, economic and governance. The study reveals that while experiential travel by Millennials is driving a new sustainable travel mindset, the majority of the general leisure market is also emphatically behind that change.”

Sustainable Travel International Founder and CEO Brian Mullis said, "The study is a huge wake-up call for the travel industry. It shows that the market for sustainable travel is much larger than previously thought. More than half of this market, or 60 million U.S. travelers are selecting their travel company based on their sustainability practices; and 56 million make destination choices based on the sustainable practices at the destination. This is too big to ignore."

Sustainable tourism is one of the most progressive and rapidly growing movements in the travel and tourism industry. It has become universally recognized as a vital sector of human and industrial activity, yet sustainable travel hasn’t become mainstream. The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) describes sustainable tourism as “development [that] meets the needs of present tourists and host regions while protecting and enhancing opportunity for the future.” This survey indicates that sustainable travel has an even broader meaning beyond environmental, including cultural, social and economic: A large majority say they believe sustainable tourism means respecting and enhancing local community, helping to conserve heritage, nature and wildlife, minimizing damage, waste and all types of pollution as a result of their travel.

Other key findings from the survey include:

  • More than than half (53 percent) of sustainable travelers report that sustainable practices at the destination were a driver of destination choice, either being the “key factor in their decision” to visit the destination (28 percent) or helping them choose between destinations (25 percent), (compared to only 8 percent of all other travelers.)

  • 63 percent of all travelers say they are much more likely to consider destinations where there is a strong effort to conserve and protect natural resources. The number jumps to 75 percent among sustainable travelers.

  • Travelers feel a great deal of responsibility for ensuring their trip has a positive impact on the place they visit, 63 percent; 64 percent believe that responsibility also rests with local government.

  • More than 60 percent of all travelers feel strongly about their obligation to leave an area the same or better than they found it

  • More than two-fifths of sustainable travelers say they have purchased from travel companies because they believe they offer fair wages to their employees and invest in employees; while 38% say they have done business with travel companies who have helped to reduce human trafficking.

  • Over half of sustainable travelers purchased something from a travel company because they offered experiences that reflect the unique character of the destination (57 percent), educated customers about those unique features (54 percent), or provided primarily locally made or sourced products (54 percent). This compares to about a fifth of all leisure travelers who say they would make purchases based on these characteristics.

The purpose of the study was to help the travel and tourism industry better understand how travelers define sustainable tourism and how they incorporate it into their travel decisions and behaviors.

Mandala added that the study finally makes the business case for travel organizations to get involved in all facets of sustainability. “This segment of the market generates billions of dollars in spending with 105 million leisure travelers who are sustainable travelers, spending on average over $1,749 per trip compared to $1,154 for general leisure travelers.”

Additional Study Sponsors Include Travel Oregon, G Adventures, Destination Better, Shop America Alliance, Louisiana Tax Free Shopping, and Wild Rivers Coast Alliance.

More details and a full copy of the 2016 Role of Sustainability in Travel & Tourism report can be found here. Individuals interested in learning how they can increase sustainable travel practices are encouraged to share the study results and become involved with organizations such as Sustainable Travel International.

About Mandala Research

Mandala Research is one of the leading travel and tourism research companies in the world. The firm has pioneered the “firsts” of many niche studies in the travel industry and offers extensive knowledge of several growing demographics and trends, including African American, LGBT, and U.S. Hispanic, and women travelers; and niche markets such as cultural, arts, and heritage tourism, retail/shopping tourism, wine and culinary tourism.  Mandala’s clients include destinations, major travel brands, associations, government agencies, and NGOs and has expertise in brand tracking, brand equity and brand identity research.  For more information, contact Laura@MandalaResearch.com or call 703.820.1041

 

About Sustainable Travel International

Sustainable Travel International is a non-profit organization working to improve the lives of people around the world and the environments they rely upon. By leveraging the power of travel and tourism and providing business and government leaders with the guidance, policies and solutions they need, we aim to ensure that the communities they’re engaged in thrive and their environments are healthy for future generations. For more information, visit http://www.sustainabletravel.org/or call +1-917-677- 5731.

About Visit California

Visit California is a nonprofit organization with a mission to develop and maintain marketing programs – in partnership with the state’s travel industry – that keep California top-of-mind as a premier travel destination. Spending by travelers totaled $122.5 billion in 2015 in California, generating 1,064,000 jobs in the state and $9.9 billion in state and local tax revenues. For more information about Visit California and for a free California Official State Visitor's Guide, go towww.VisitCalifornia.com. For story ideas, media information, downloadable images, video and more, go towww.media.visitcalifornia.com.

 

Media Inquiries:

Paul Wilke

Upright Position Communications Paul@uprightcomms.com

+1 415 881-7995

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