The Directors of Governance, Statutes & By-laws are working diligently to review the necessary and desired modifications that will modernise our Statutes and ensure they meet today’s needs. Ninety-two years after the foundation of Skål International, your Executive Board remains firmly committed to Shaping Tomorrow.

We had an excellent and highly productive virtual meeting on 23 February with the Governance, Statutes & By-laws Committee. Committed Skålleagues from around the world contributed valuable insights for which we are truly grateful. All input has been duly noted and will support our ongoing work as we prepare recommendations for the next Board Meeting in April to continue moving forward.

Over the past month, we reached an important milestone in the ongoing review of Skål International’s membership framework. This includes the proposed repositioning of membership classifications and the development of a forward-looking membership structure aimed at strengthening the organisation’s long-term sustainability and relevance.

These outcomes provide greater clarity on how membership can continue to evolve while maintaining the diversity and spirit that define Skål International. Building on this progress, we will now focus on supporting the implementation of these concepts and advancing the priorities defined within the Project Shaping Tomorrow roadmap.

During March 2026, the Marketing, PR, Media & Branding Committee achieved a major milestone by successfully selecting the PR and communication company that will collaborate with us starting on 1 April 2026. This represents an important step forward, as the selected partner is an international company with a worldwide scope and more than 50 employees, which will significantly strengthen our communication capacity and global visibility. 

In addition, the Committee began strengthening internal collaboration with other Committees. Initial coordination has already started with the Sponsoring Committee, and discussions with other Committees have also been initiated to ensure effective alignment of communication strategies.

The current platform is functioning with satisfactory stability, allowing Officers to make payments and update their membership lists effectively during the renewal period. 

We look forward to the forthcoming launch of the new networking App. The Technology Committee has also been approached by the Communication/PR Committee to initiate a collaboration.

During the last month, the Sustainability Committee completed the formation of all subcommittees. Our most recent meeting focused on reviewing and consolidating the current Sustainable Tourism Awards categories into five main groups that better reflect the most relevant and impactful projects. The final summary, including descriptions and eligibility criteria, was completed at our last meeting. During that session, the new awards categories were voted on and subsequently submitted to the General Secretariat for publication, allowing the launch of the call for submissions, with a deadline set for 31 May 2026.

The Sponsorship Committee continues its work to make regional promotion partnerships more attractive and to include new destinations in the package through both its regular monthly meetings and its discussions with members and the headquarters. In addition, efforts to collaborate with other regional Directors are also ongoing. If you are interested in promoting your city, do not hesitate to contact us. 

The Training Committee convened its third meeting in March 2026 to review progress and outline the next phase of its global training initiatives. The Committee noted that significant training resources have already been developed in previous years, including quizzes, podcasts, and educational materials, and agreed that the current priority is to move from planning to active implementation across the Skål network.

A key focus of the discussion was strengthening member engagement with training programmes. The Committee decided to relaunch existing quiz content while continuing to expand training topics in areas such as governance, sustainability, and member orientation. The Committee also emphasized the importance of stronger regional engagement and agreed to promote training through targeted outreach to Clubs, including short introductory virtual sessions and the use of regional communication channels. In addition, members discussed enhancing orientation resources for new members, including materials related to Young Skål Professional and Skål Students, as well as exploring recognition mechanisms that could encourage sustained participation in training activities across the global Skål community.

The Finance Committee progressed its work during March with a review of the latest 2026 financial accounts, including assessment of the organisation’s financial position against budget, key variances, and major expense categories, confirming that overall performance remains stable with no significant areas of overspend risk identified. Membership dues collection was also a key focus, with over 90% of fees now received, alongside continued monitoring of outstanding balances and the consistent application of late payment penalties across regions. The Travel and Expense Policy was finalised, representing an important step in strengthening governance, transparency, and cost discipline. The Committee also progressed initial discussions on revenue diversification opportunities. In the coming month, focus will shift to the Membership Dues Model Review and Financial Reserves and Long-Term Sustainability, while continuing to monitor collections and support broader financial planning priorities aligned with the organisation’s strategic direction.

Actively promoting registrations for the Congress and encouraging strong participation from members and industry partners. At the same time, work is progressing on the development of the B2B and workshop programme to ensure a valuable and engaging schedule for delegates. Preparations are also underway for the upcoming site inspection, which will be conducted by President Andres Hayes and Congress Co-ordinator Esther Romero, allowing them to review venues, logistics and programme planning ahead of the event.

Ramon Adillon, President Skål International Madrid, serves as our representative to the World Travel & Tourism Council. Our Past World President, Hülya Aslantaş, represents Skål International at the UN Tourism Affiliate Member. The Trade Shows, Global Partnerships & Advocacy Committee benefited from valuable insights shared by Ramon and Hülya, which have helped inform our current review and future direction.

Historically, Skål’s global engagement has centered on networking, congress participation, speaker invitations, and trade show presence. These activities remain important, primarily representing participation rather than strategic influence. Our opportunity now is to evolve this engagement and strengthen Skål’s role as a recognised practitioner partner within the global tourism landscape.

Our objective is to build on both existing and emerging relationships and position Skål as a trusted global partner to tourism organisations and affiliates. By fostering collaboration across continents, countries, area, National Committees, and Clubs, creating a more structured, meaningful engagement.

We are moving toward a more outcome-focused approach: building relationships, engaging influential leaders, inviting them to contribute to Skål Club platforms, strengthening Skål’s visibility and relevance globally.

The next three months, we will strengthen representation where gaps exist and implement a structured three-tier partnership approach, Global, Continental, and National. Ensuring clear alignment, stronger relationships, and measurable delivery.