SKAL declares Cusco, Peru, Pretoria, South Africa, and Taiwan as Tourism Triplets

Windy Yang head of SKAL International Taiwan, was excited when she teamed up with her SKAL friends from Cusco, Peru, Pretoria, South Africa, at the SKAL International General Assembly in Rijeka, Croatia, yesterday.

This was the first double twinning to bring SKAL clubs together from three continents.

The first tourism triplet was born.

Maria del Pilar Salas de Sumar from SKAL International Cusco, a city in the Peruvian Andes, had this to say when Taiwan and her City joined as twins within the SKAL Club structure.

SKAL is about doing business with friends. International politics are left behind.

Good morning everyone, Buenos días. 

Madam President Burcin, Vice President Juan Steta, PR director Annette, Skallegues, and friends, thank you very much for joining us.

It is an honor for me to be with you today, representing my city and country. My name is Maria del Pilar Salas de Sumar. I am the president of Skal Internacional Cusco and founder and owner of Hacienda Sarapampa in the Sacred Valley of the Incas in Cusco, Peru. 

Peru offers tourists the majesty of the Andean mountains, the mysteries of the jungles of the Amazon, and the magic of ancient civilizations that flourished in Peru´s abundant ecosystems. Its ten Unesco World Heritage sites include Machu Picchu, the once-lost mountain citadel of the 16th-century Inca civilization, and its recognition as one of the best culinary destinations in the world makes traveling to my country an unforgettable experience. 

And, of course, the most visited destination in South America is the beautiful city of Cusco, with well-preserved pre-Columbian and colonial architecture and evidence of rich and complex history.

The city represents the center of indigenous Quechua culture in the Andes, and by merely walking the streets, one sees the layers of history. 

In Cusco, every corner tells a story, and every story is captivating, mystical, and inviting. As president of Skal Cusco International, I personally invite you to visit my beautiful city to experience our renowned hospitality. 

This morning I will have the great responsibility of signing this twinning with Skal Taipei, which will allow us to collaborate together in the promotion of our cities while creating common projects and commercial exchanges in compliance with the motto of Skål International, “Doing business among friends.”

Also, it will benefit us in cultural, economic, and tourist aspects and allow us to work on resolutions for club management, networking, and best practices. 

Now, as I sign each one of these twinnings in the representation of my great head of directors and club members, I want to hand in a very traditional Peruvian gift that we found to symbolize these twinnings because they celebrate a new relationship. 

When oxen were introduced to Peru from Europe, they helped Andean people to work the fields; but what impacted the people was to see, for the first time, two powerful bulls working as one to achieve an objective.

They had to pull together with the same strength, at the same pace, and in the same direction; otherwise, things could go wrong. 

It is the same in personal and business relationships. These Toritos of Pucara that I now present to you as a gift symbolize that we have to work in sync with the same intensity and point in the right direction with a unique vision so our clubs and affiliates can prosper together. 

We ask that the toritos occupy a special place in your office as a constant reminder of this new joint venture so we never forget what drove us here to consolidate this new twinning between our clubs. 

SKAL TAIWAN responded:

Ms. Fiona Angelico, International Councilor from Skål International South Africa, and Ms. Windy Yang, Skål International Taipei Vice President.

It is a great pleasure for me to be making history this morning in Skal International as we are signing a triple continent twinning which will allow us to grow together to, for example, train chefs from both Taiwan and Peru who will be able to make exchanges in both countries, affecting their professional development. 

As we Peruvians know, we are one of the most preferred countries for Taiwan travelers in South America.

We also share similarities with Pretoria with the various ecosystems found there and in Peru. We strongly believe we can re-think tourism with both clubs by working together as one and reinforcing our commitments to cooperate in improving tourism standards and sustainable practices.