{"id":1061,"date":"2026-08-12T08:50:26","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T06:50:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/?p=1061"},"modified":"2026-09-05T11:57:53","modified_gmt":"2026-09-05T09:57:53","slug":"skal-international-a-story-of-tourism-friendship-and-opportunities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/en\/skal\/skal-international-una-historia-de-turismo-amistad-y-oportunidades\/","title":{"rendered":"Sk\u00e5l International: a story of tourism, friendship and opportunities"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Desde aquel primer Club nacido en Par\u00eds en 1932 hasta la red internacional que hoy conecta a profesionales del turismo de todo el mundo, Sk\u00e5l International mantiene una idea esencial: las relaciones humanas pueden convertirse en conocimiento, colaboraci\u00f3n y oportunidades profesionales.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Hablar de <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skal.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sk\u00e5l International<\/a> es hablar de una organizaci\u00f3n cuya historia est\u00e1 \u00edntimamente ligada a la evoluci\u00f3n del turismo internacional.<\/p>\n<p>Its origins lie in Paris, where a group of travel agents began to forge close relationships after participating in an organized trip to see a new aircraft destined to operate the Amsterdam-Copenhagen-Malm\u00f6 route. That shared experience led to a friendship between professionals from different countries and, on December 20, 1932, to the founding of the first Sk\u00e5l Club in Paris.<\/p>\n<p>The idea grew rapidly. By the beginning of 1934, there were already twelve clubs in five countries, and the need arose to create an organization to unite them. On April 28 of that year, at the Hotel Scribe in Paris, the <strong>Association Internationale des Sk\u00e5l Clubs<\/strong>, the predecessor of the current Sk\u00e5l International.<\/p>\n<p>More than nine decades have passed since then, and tourism has changed radically. But one thing remains: <strong>People remain at the center of tourist activity.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><strong>A different organization<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>One of the characteristics that makes Sk\u00e5l International unique is its cross-cutting nature.<\/p>\n<p>The organization brings together professionals from different areas of the tourism industry and facilitates networking between managers and professionals at the local, national and international levels.<\/p>\n<p>Hotels, travel agencies, tour operators, transport, restaurants, events and other tourism-related activities find a common space in Sk\u00e5l.<\/p>\n<p>This diversity is precisely one of its greatest strengths.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3073\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3073\" style=\"width: 1250px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3073 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/foto-skal-grupo.webp\" alt=\"Socios de Sk\u00e5l International Espa\u00f1a durante un encuentro profesional\" width=\"1250\" height=\"577\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/foto-skal-grupo.webp 1250w, https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/foto-skal-grupo-300x138.webp 300w, https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/foto-skal-grupo-1024x473.webp 1024w, https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/foto-skal-grupo-768x355.webp 768w, https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/foto-skal-grupo-18x8.webp 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1250px) 100vw, 1250px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3073\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sk\u00e5l International Spain members during a professional meeting.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A hotelier might share a table with a travel agent. An events professional might meet a destination representative. A tour operator might establish a relationship with a supplier from another country.<\/p>\n<p>And from these encounters, new ideas, collaborations, and opportunities can emerge.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sk\u00e5l brings together in one network those who make tourism possible.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Few expressions better identify Sk\u00e5l&#039;s philosophy than its well-known motto:<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Doing Business Among Friends<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The phrase refers to business, but its meaning goes far beyond that.<\/p>\n<p>In an industry built on personal relationships, trust is a key differentiator. Getting to know another professional personally, sharing experiences, and establishing a relationship of trust can be the first step toward future collaboration.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3075\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3075\" style=\"width: 1250px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3075 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/afterwork-w.webp\" alt=\"Sk\u00e5l professionals sharing an informal meeting among friends.\" width=\"1250\" height=\"577\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/afterwork-w.webp 1250w, https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/afterwork-w-300x138.webp 300w, https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/afterwork-w-1024x473.webp 1024w, https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/afterwork-w-768x355.webp 768w, https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/afterwork-w-18x8.webp 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1250px) 100vw, 1250px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3075\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sk\u00e5l professionals sharing an informal meeting among friends.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The business can come later.<\/p>\n<p>Sk\u00e5l&#039;s philosophy stems precisely from that idea: <strong>to create human relationships that can also become professional relationships.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Friendship does not replace professionalism.<\/p>\n<p><strong>It makes her more human.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><strong>From local to global<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>One of the great values of belonging to Sk\u00e5l is that the relationship begins at the local level, but it doesn&#039;t end there.<\/p>\n<p>Being part of a club like <strong>Sk\u00e5l International M\u00e1laga-Costa del Sol<\/strong> It also means belonging to an international network of professionals.<\/p>\n<p>This connection can facilitate knowledge of other markets, the exchange of experiences, collaboration between destinations, and the creation of new business opportunities.<\/p>\n<p>Para un destino internacional como <a href=\"https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/en\/the-guests-gaze\/evolution-and-future-of-the-costa-del-sol-destination\/\">M\u00e1laga y la Costa del Sol<\/a>, esta dimensi\u00f3n adquiere una importancia especial.<\/p>\n<p>Our region boasts an exceptionally diverse and dynamic tourism ecosystem. Connecting with professionals from other destinations allows us to broaden our perspective and extend professional relationships beyond our borders.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3076\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3076\" style=\"width: 1250px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3076 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/historia-skal-3-w.webp\" alt=\"Panoramic view of Malaga and its port with the Sk\u00e5l International Malaga-Costa del Sol logo.\" width=\"1250\" height=\"580\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/historia-skal-3-w.webp 1250w, https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/historia-skal-3-w-300x139.webp 300w, https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/historia-skal-3-w-1024x475.webp 1024w, https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/historia-skal-3-w-768x356.webp 768w, https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/historia-skal-3-w-18x8.webp 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1250px) 100vw, 1250px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3076\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Panoramic view of Malaga and its port with the Sk\u00e5l International Malaga-Costa del Sol logo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>The local area is the meeting point.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>The international network expands the possibilities.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Malaga and the Costa del Sol within a large network<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Sk\u00e5l International M\u00e1laga-Costa del Sol is part of this international community, but develops its activity from the concrete reality of our destination.<\/p>\n<p>M\u00e1laga and the Costa del Sol are experiencing a period of tremendous international growth. Connectivity, hotel offerings, gastronomy, culture, meetings and events tourism, and the increasing diversification of their offerings have made the destination one of Europe&#039;s leading tourist destinations.<\/p>\n<p>In this context, Sk\u00e5l can play a particularly relevant role.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Facilitating meetings between professionals who are part of the local tourism ecosystem and connecting that talent with professionals from other parts of the world.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><strong>A network prepared for a new kind of tourism<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Tourism today has little to do with that of 1934.<\/p>\n<p>Digitalization has transformed distribution and marketing. Artificial intelligence is changing processes and ways of working. Travelers are looking for new experiences, and destinations are facing challenges related to sustainability, coexistence, and resource management.<\/p>\n<p>Transformation is constant.<\/p>\n<p>But precisely in an increasingly digital world, the value of human relationships can become even more important.<\/p>\n<p>Technology allows us to communicate faster and reach further. But <strong>Trust still needs human contact.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Striking a balance between innovation and personal relationships will be one of the major challenges for professional organizations in the coming years.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>The challenge of the new generations<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The continuity of any organization also depends on its ability to incorporate new generations.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3078\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3078\" style=\"width: 1250px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3078 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/skal-joven-w.webp\" alt=\"J\u00f3venes profesionales\" width=\"1250\" height=\"370\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/skal-joven-w.webp 1250w, https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/skal-joven-w-300x89.webp 300w, https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/skal-joven-w-1024x303.webp 1024w, https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/skal-joven-w-768x227.webp 768w, https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/skal-joven-w-18x5.webp 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1250px) 100vw, 1250px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3078\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">J\u00f3venes profesionales<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Young tourism professionals are entering the sector with new ways of working, new expectations, and a different relationship with technology and professional networks.<\/p>\n<p>Incorporating them into Sk\u00e5l does not mean giving up on tradition.<\/p>\n<p>It means allowing that tradition to continue.<\/p>\n<p>The experience of those who have been working in tourism for decades can be combined with the new ideas, knowledge, and perspectives of those who are just starting their careers.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Experience provides memory. New generations bring the future.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>And the meeting between the two could become one of Sk\u00e5l&#039;s greatest strengths.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>A story that continues<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>From that first Sk\u00e5l Club in Paris to the current international network, more than nine decades have passed.<\/p>\n<p>Airplanes, hotels, travel agencies, technologies, destinations, and the way we travel have all changed.<\/p>\n<p>But there is something that has not changed:<\/p>\n<p><strong>People still need people.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Sk\u00e5l International was born from a group of professionals who discovered, through a trip, that sharing experiences could generate friendship and lasting relationships.<\/p>\n<p>More than nine decades later, that idea remains present.<\/p>\n<p>An international network of professionals who use tourism as a meeting point and friendship, trust and collaboration as tools to build new opportunities.<\/p>\n<p>And perhaps therein lies the enduring relevance of his philosophy:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Doing Business Among Friends<\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Since its inception in Paris in 1932, Sk\u00e5l International has transformed relationships between tourism professionals into a global network based on friendship, trust, and opportunities for collaboration.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":3072,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[50,82,47,49,48],"class_list":["post-1061","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-skal","tag-asociacionismo","tag-historia-de-skal","tag-skal-espana","tag-skal-international","tag-skal-malaga-costa-del-sol"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1061","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1061"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1061\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4281,"href":"https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1061\/revisions\/4281"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3072"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1061"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1061"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinergiaskal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1061"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}