Nearly half a century of commitment, travel, meetings and friendship with an organisation that became part of her life.
There are trajectories within the story of Skål which can hardly be explained through a position or a succession of dates. The case of Josefa Díaz Delgado is one of them.
Her relationship with Skål began in January 1977. Since then, congresses, international meetings, responsibilities, projects and, above all, people have shaped a story spanning almost half a century.
The photographs Josefa has gathered for Sinergia Skål offer a glimpse into a part of her life. They are not intended to be an exhaustive account of events. They are a personal memoir constructed from places, moments, and people that help us understand what Skål has meant to her.
From Cadiz to the world
India, Colombia, Andorra, Panama, the Philippines, Germany, the United States, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Peru, Dubai, Kenya, China, Japan, Turkey...
The geography of Josefa Díaz Delgado's memories also shows one of the characteristics that have historically defined Skål: tourism professionals from different countries who meet time and time again and end up building relationships that go far beyond a professional meeting.
The images show world congresses, meetings, encounters at FITUR and World Travel Market, institutional visits, club events and celebrations.
But, taken together, they tell a much simpler story: a life shared with Skål.
Josefa Díaz and the responsibility of representing Skål Spain
A particularly significant part of that journey corresponds to her time as National President of Skål Spain.
In the report she has prepared, Josefa highlights a number of initiatives and actions: updating the statutes, establishing the Skål Classroom, representing Skål Spain in different parts of the world, working to reactivate clubs such as those in Ibiza and Mallorca, promoting the creation of new clubs in places such as Huelva, and requesting an audience with the Royal Household.
Her time in office was characterised by a significant international presence, as well as close work with the clubs and the search for new ways to expand Skål's presence and strengthen its relationships.
Among his memories is also the founding of Skål Europa in Paris, alongside numerous representatives of the organization.
When Skål enters university
Among her memories is also the founding of Skål Europe in Paris, alongside numerous representatives of the organisation.
The initiative brought Skål closer to the university environment and to those training to enter the tourism sector. It was a way to connect the accumulated experience of professionals with the new generations in the industry.
It is one of those initiatives that, viewed over the years, helps us understand that the future of a professional organisation also depends on its ability to open itself up to those who come after.
Memories that are part of a life
Some photographs inevitably have an institutional component. Others acquire their value precisely because of the opposite.
There is the meeting with HM Felipe VI in Cádiz in 2021, the Skål International Council held in Torremolinos in 2022, the 90th anniversary of Skål Paris, the world congresses and the numerous meetings and gatherings held in different places.
And then there are the meals, the celebrations, the reunions and those group photographs that, accumulated over decades, end up telling a story better than any list of positions ever could.
Because after so many kilometres travelled, memories no longer seem to be built solely around places.
It is built around people.
Cadiz, always present
In that international journey there is one place that appears time and time again: Cádiz.
Her connection with Skål Cádiz runs throughout the documentation and continues to the present day.
Among the most recent events documented by Josefa is Cádiz's international promotion as the host city for the 2027 Skål World Congress, including its presentation in Cusco and later at FITUR.
It is a way of coming full circle: after decades of travelling around much of the world with Skål, Cádiz once again becomes the point from which to look towards the future.
A big family
But perhaps the most important of all the memories that Josefa Díaz Delgado has gathered do not come from any of those journeys.
They can be found in the words with which she herself sums up what Skål has meant in her life:
“Skål is my family, my big family because, although we are not united by blood, we are united by heart, and each of the people I have met over the years has given me a piece of their heart.”
And that's probably the explanation for everything mentioned above.
It's difficult to remain connected to an organisation for almost half a century solely for professional reasons. Positions end. Conferences conclude. Trips end.
What remains are the relationships built along the way.
For Josefa Díaz Delgado, that journey began in January 1977.
And it still continues.
