Award for Skål International Garden Route
Skål International Garden Route has been awarded the organisation’s top South African Club of the Year Award for a fifth consecutive year when clubs from around the country visited Plettenberg Bay for its bi-annual meeting recently.
Skål is a global tourism industry association with more than 20 000 members, 500 clubs in just under 90 countries worldwide that includes roleplayers from various tourism sectors.
Its aim is to work together to maximise networking opportunities and support a responsible tourism industry, through leadership, professionalism and friendship.
From September 11 to 13, Skål South Africa held its bi-annual meeting in Plett where the organisation’s top clubs were announced at a glitzy gala dinner at the Beacon Island Hotel.
Skål International Garden Route took top honours, while Cape Town came in second and Nelson Mandela Bay achieved the third place.
Skål International Garden Route secretary, Tertius Meyer, said the club was established in 1998 and was so successful thanks to the active participation of members.
He added that membership did not only comprise of decision-makers and leaders within the travel and tourism trade, but that the Garden Route club was one of the largest in the country.
Geographically speaking we are the largest club in South Africa. Members travel hundreds of kilometres to attend the monthly meetings. Nevertheless, the members religiously attend the meetings and it is not unusual to welcome between 20 and 45 members each time,” Meyer said.
Meyer added that the club’s focus was to be a trusted voice within the industry and to develop a responsibly tourism industry.
“We are actively involved in sustainable tourism, marketing and skills development in our area (Klein Karoo and Garden Route), and therefore get the buy-in from the industry, tourism offices and our members. An example of this is the past meeting and president’s gala dinner which saw Plett Tourism being actively involved in sponsorships and organisation to make this event happen.”
He said that winning the Club of the Year Award for the fifth consecutive year rewarded the passion and dedication of its members and committee in promoting the Skål brand and tourism. “We are very honoured to have received this award once again this year.”
The club presidents in attendance at the past meeting came from Pretoria, Cape Town, Nelson Mandela Bay, Garden Route, Durban, Cape Winelands and Johannesburg. The national president and international councillor, Lavone Wittmann, as well as national secretary, Ann Lambe, also visited the coastal holiday town.
During their visit to Plett, several members had to the opportunity to visit Monkeyland, Birds of Eden and Jukani – local sanctuaries which recently won the Skål International Sustainable Tourism Award for best major attraction.
The next bi-annual meeting is scheduled to be held in Durban in March next year while the Skål International World Congress will be held in Torremolinos, Spain from October 25 to 30 and presidents from the Garden Route, Nelson Mandela Bay and Cape Town clubs will be attending.