In its 20th Anniversary, the award ceremony at the SKAL General Assembly in Croatia was conducted by Interim Vice President Hulya Aslantas, and Skål International World President Burcin Turkkan presented awards.
Skål International Sustainable Tourism Awards program is getting even greater prestige.
Skål International has been an Affiliate Member of the U.N. World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) since 1984 and has joined forces to give a greater dimension to the Sustainable Tourism Awards.
And we keep the partnership with the Responsible Tourism Institute and Biosphere Tourism for the fourth consecutive year. They have enhanced its support and granted the ‘Skål Biosphere Sustainable Special Award’ to each winner, consisting of a one-year free subscription to the Biosphere Sustainable platform, where the winner can create their own personalized Sustainability Plan.
| Three prominent and distinguished judges from internationally recognized entities have independently evaluated each entry based on leadership criteria in sustainability that encompass tangible, measurable benefits to the environment, enhance business, and the society and communities in which they operate: |
 Mr. Ion Vilcu, Director of Affiliate Members Department at the U.N. World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). |  Mr. Patricio Azcárate Díaz, General Secretary, Responsible Tourism Institute. |  Mr. Cüneyt Kuru, Member of the Board of Directors of the Turkish Environment Education Foundation and General Manager of Aquaworld Belek Hotel. |
Skål International Club of the Year Award
In this still-challenging year, 14 clubs out of the 21 that met the eligibility criteria accepted the invitation to participate in this competition.
Congratulations to all the eligible clubs for their great performance despite the complicated situation some of them are still experiencing!
Eligible Clubs worldwide and an Executive Board panel of judges formed by Directors Marja Eela-Kaskinen, Annette Cardenas, and CEO Daniela Otero were invited to cast their votes.
- The Skål International club ranked in third place for having received the third highest number of votes is Skål International Hyderabad, India.
- The Skål International club ranked in second place is Skål International Antalya, Turkey.
- And the Skål International club that has received the highest number of votes and is declared Skål Club of the Year 2021-2022 is Skål International Melbourne, Australia.
Membership Development Campaign Awards
Skål International has maintained 100% of its membership and is on target to reach our forecast of 13,000 members for 2022.
Congratulations to the Top 6 clubs that have achieved the top Membership Growth! There are 2 Awards in each category of Silver, Gold and Platinum, for the top three clubs getting the highest increase:
- Silver Awards: Skål International Kolkata, India (net increase winner), Skål International St. Gallen, Switzerland (percentage increase winner).
- Gold Awards: Skål International Bombay, India (net increase winner), India and Skål International Arkansas, USA (percentage increase winner).
- Platinum Awards: Skål International Côte D’Azur, France (net increase winner) and Skål International Merida, Mexico (percentage increase winner).
This year, 50 entrants from 23 countries worldwide have met the requirements and competed in the nine available categories.
WINNERS OF THE 2022 SKÅL INTERNATIONAL SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AWARDS
Today, during the Opening Ceremony of the 81st Skål International World Congress, the winners of the 2022 Sustainable Tourism Awards have officially been announced:
COMMUNITIES & GOVERNMENTS
Secretary of Tourism of Santiago de Cali, Colombia
Supported by Skål International Bogotá
Award collected by Annette Cárdenas, Director of PR, Communications & Social Media at Skål International.
COUNTRYSIDE AND BIODIVERSITY
Panthera Africa Big Cat Sanctuary, South Africa
Supported by Skål International South Africa
Award collected by Wayne Bezuidenhout, Fundraising Manager of Panthera Africa and Vice President of Skål International South Africa.
Opatija Tourist Board, Croatia
Since Skål International Kvarner hosts the Skål International World Congress, the Opatija Tourist Board has been specially recognized for being ranked second in this category.
Skål International President Burcin Turkkan presenting the certificate of appreciation to Mr. Fernando Kirigin, Mayor of Opatija.
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS PROGRAMMES AND MEDIA
Mankind Digital, Australia
Supported by Skål International Melbourne
Mankind Digital, Australia
Award collected by Ivana Patalano, President of Skål International Australia.
MAJOR TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
The CapTA Group, Australia
Supported by Skål International Cairns
Award collected by Ben Woodward, Director of Sales & Marketing of The CaPTA Group and member of Skål International Cairns.
MARINE AND COASTAL
Six Senses Laamu, The Maldives
Supported by Skål International Roma
Award collected by Luigi Sciarra, President of Skål International Roma.
RURAL ACCOMMODATION
CGH Earth, India
Supported by Skål International Kochi
Award collected by Carl Vaz, President of Skål International India.
TOUR OPERATORS – TRAVEL AGENTS
Travel with a Cause, Australia
Supported by Skål International Hobart
Award collected by Alfred Merse, Former President of Skål International Hobart.
TOURISTS TRANSPORTATION
East by West Ferries, New Zealand
Supported by Skål International Wellington
Award collected by Bruce Garrett, Treasurer of Skål International New Zealand and Ivana Patalano, President, Skål International Australia.
URBAN ACCOMMODATION
Legacy Vacation Resorts, United States
Supported by Skål International Tampa Bay
Award collected by Kristina Park, Former President of Skål International Tampa Bay.
About Biosphere Tourism:
Biosphere Tourism develops certifications to guarantee an adequate long-term balance between the economic, socio-cultural, and environmental dimensions of a Destination, reporting significant benefits for a tourism entity, society, and the environment. This certification is granted by the Responsible Tourism Institute (RTI), an international non-profit NGO, in the form of an association which has promoted, for more than 20 years, responsible tourism at an international level, helping all the actors involved in the tourism sector develop a new way of traveling and of knowing our planet.
Skål International advocates global tourism, focused on its benefits–happiness, good health, friendship, and long life. Founded in 1934, Skål International is the only organization of tourism professionals worldwide promoting global Tourism and friendship, uniting all tourism industry sectors. For more information, please visit www.skal.org.
