SKAL International Tokyo
Introduction to Skal
What is Skal?

Skål is a professional organisation of tourism leaders around the world, promoting global tourism and friendship. It is the only international group uniting all branches of the travel and tourism industry. Its members, the industry’s managers and executives, meet at local, national, regional and international levels to discuss and pursue topics of common interest.
The first Club was founded in 1932 in Paris by travel managers, following an educational tour of Scandinavia. The idea of international goodwill and friendship grew and, in 1934, the “Association Internationale des Skål Clubs” was formed with Florimond Volckaert as its first President, who is considered the “Father of Skal”.
Skål International today has approximately 22,000 members in 500 Clubs throughout 90 nations. Most activities occur at local level, moving up through National Committees, under the umbrella of Skål International, headquartered at the General Secretariat in Torremolinos, Spain.
Skål International is governed by an Executive Committee of seven members, elected by delegates to an annual General Assembly, held during the World Congress, hosted by a different country each year. This allows members first-hand observation of the travel and tourism potential around the world. Skål is non-political and encourages advancement and evolution through affiliation with other international industry organisations such as the World Tourism Organisation. Skål does not discriminate on the basis of sex, age, race, religion, politics or social standing. Skål supports charitable causes.
Who is eligible to join?
Membership of Skål is open to managers or executives directly involved in tourism management, sales and promotions, in specified travel and tourism businesses, including: transportation (airlines, cruise lines, railways, ferries), travel and tour operators and agencies, tourism organizations, governments and non-government tourism councils, hotels, convention centres, travel media, etc.
Young Skål is open to junior executives and tourism students entering the industry.
Why should I join?
The international friendship and close personal contact of Skål must be experienced to be appreciated.
“Doing Business among friends”. Skål is not a community organisation like Rotary or Lions, rather it benefits and develops the professional sector, while assisting the community at large. Skål is an Association of Tourism Professionals which encourages and creates a network of professionals around the world. It promotes seminars and conferences to strengthen the industry’s professionalism.
Through participation in local activities and events at all levels, members meet industry colleagues from around the world. Here, in an atmosphere of amicale, ideas, opportunities and industry matters, in general, may be shared on a personal and business level.
Skål members should promote the organisation, the formation of new Clubs and recruit qualified members.
How to join?
A Skål International Membership Proposal Form is available at www.SKÅL.org website or from secretary of Tokyo Club. Please fill the form and sent it to the secretary of Tokyo Club. Those interested in membership may attend a Club meeting nearby or while travelling on business or leisure. Prospective members must be endorsed by two current members and the local Executive and National Committees. Final approval must be obtained from Skål International.
For further information or to find the Skål Club nearest you, see www.SKÅL.org or contact: Secretary of Tokyo Club : Kayoko Inoue, U.S. Travel Association, Managing Director, Japan. Email: Kinoue@USTravel.org or Tel: 03-5355-0362
What are the benefits of joining Skal?
- Through contributions from Clubs around the world, the Florimond Volckaert Fund assists any Skål member in times of financial need or crisis.
- The Skål International Membership Card entitles members to discounts at some participating outlets, provided by Skål Members.
- The network of Skål Members worldwide is now accessible via the Skål website at www.SKÅL.org. Information on members around the world is at your fingertips.
- Skål Members are welcome at all meetings around the world. Wherever you travel, you can access a network of Skål friends and colleagues.
- Skål News, a magazine published quarterly, is a medium for information about the organization and an avenue for advertising exposure to 20,000 industry professionals.
See more benefits in the next section or click here!
Membership Benefits
Contacts for Business
More than 20,000 tourism related companies to choose from.
Speakers & Discussions
Annual Tourism Forum and many opportunities to attend seminars, nationally and locally.
Networking
22,000 tourism professionals worldwide with whom to make contact.
Starting a New Business
Skål is an ideal way to meet new professional contacts.
Moving to a New City
Use Skål to meet the other tourism professionals there.
Worldwide Opportunities
Annual Congress and almost 90 countries to choose from.
Friendship & Amicale
Develop new friends within the travel and tourism industry.
Traveling
Many opportunities to attend national, regional and international congresses often offering special travel arrangements.
Monthly Meetings
Opportunities to meet local colleagues in the industry and the occasion to use local functions to entertain business associates.
Skal News
Quarterly magazine edited by Skål International has news and articles of an international nature.
Access to the Skal Database
Membership Directory Worldwide with close to 22,000 contacts at your finger-tips.
Membership Advantages
As a Skalleague your membership of the Association will be recognised in many ways as you travel.
Florimond Volckaert Fund
Help for members and their families who have fallen on hard times through loss of employment, illness, etc.
Warm welcome
Locally and Internationally, a warm welcome awaits all visiting Skålleagues. Each club has a varied programme of professional activities with a social content.
Membership Form Information
Interested in becoming a member?
For those interested in applying for membership, please download the brochure from the link below, fill out, and follow the instructions to complete your application. If you have any questions regarding the application process, please use the contact information on this page to submit an inquiry.
Download the application form here to begin the application process. The file will start downloading after you click.
By-Laws of Skal International Tokyo
ARTICLE 1 MONTHLY MEETING
(a) As a rule, the members meeting shall be held on the first Monday of every month. The meeting shall normally convene at 6:30pm for cocktails followed by dinner. The Secretary-Treasurer shall notify all members of the meeting details at least one week prior to the meeting.
(b) The Committee may alter the regular meeting date or time for a special purpose.
(c) Attending members shall sign their names in the roll book.
(d) Any member who does not attend at least three (3) regular meetings during a SKAL year can be subject to a written warning from the Secretary. Failure by a member receiving such warning to improve his attendance during the following year may result in cancellation of his membership. Out-of-town meetings such as overseas outings or National Committee joint-meeting held in other cities shall, however can be included for purposes of considering minimum attendance requirements.
(e) The member must wear the SKAL symbol (badge, tie or other item) when attending the meeting or be subject to a fine of ¥1,000.
(f) No guests shall be admitted to the monthly meetings unless the Committee has designated it open for them. However, members are free to invite any visitor as guest who is a member of any SKAL Club enrolled in A.I.S.C., but should give prior notice to the Secretary-Treasurer.
(g) Visiting members, Transfer Active members not yet accepted into the club, Associate members and those non-member guests accepted under the stipulations of (f) above, shall sign their names in the designated membership roll book and shall pay a fee which will be
decided at each meeting based on the actual cost to the Club.
ARTICLE 2 ADMISSION FEE
(a) Active Members: ¥60,000 (It should be promotional admission fee of ¥30,000 until we reach to 100 members)
The Transfer Active Member shall be exempted from the Admission Fee.
Periodically, in order to bolster membership, there will be a promotional fee of ¥30,000 for any additional member(s) who is (are) registered under an existing active member. The promotional fee only applies when applicant(s) is (are) employed by the same organization of active member who is introducing applicant(s). The fee includes the Active Membership and covers one time participation at a monthly dinner. An additional participation fee will be charged at a rate of ¥10,000 per dinner attended.
(b) No refunds will be made.
(c) Each member shall be allowed to bring guests to the Christmas Party; and a fee of ¥15,000 will be collected per guest. (Members can bring the guest to the meeting except AGM and the guest fee will be ¥10,000. However, if the guest is the potential active member, the fee will be waived.)
ARTICLE 3 ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS
(a) Active Member:
¥100,000 per annum, which includes expenses for monthly meetings and other expenses. Cancellation Fee of ¥5,000 for late cancellation received after 3:00pm of the Friday prior to the normal meeting or No-shows.
New members who are admitted after February 1 will be charged on a pro-rated calendar (monthly) basis.
A refund of 50% of the subscription may be allowed in the case of withdrawal of membership before June 30.
(b) Honorable Member
Active members are able to be Honorable Member with the experience President or Secretary of SKAL International Tokyo Club with
authorization by Committee Members.
– No Annual Membership Fee would be applied.
– Attendance fee will be charged at each meeting, JPY15,000 for AGM and National Congress, Christmas Party, JPY10,000 for regular monthly meeting.
ARTICLE 4 COMMITTEE MEMBERS
There shall be four (5) elected Committee Members-at-large, besides the President, One or Two Vice President, Immediate-Past President, and Secretary-Treasurer. The Committee Members-at-large shall be responsible for membership matters, public relations, venue, website (www.SKALTOKYO.com) and such other specific matters as directed by President.
ARTICLE 5 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The Annual General Meeting shall be convened in January. The Secretary –Treasurer shall submit a written agenda to all members at least one week prior to the date of the meeting.
ARTICLE 6 DONATIONS
(a) A fine of ¥1,000 will be assessed on any member who has failed to wear a SKAL symbol at the regular meetings. Such a fine will be donated to “Florimond Volckaert Fund” at Christmas every year.
(b) Any member may feel free to donate funds to the Club, for whatever their motivation may be.
ARTICLE 7 AMENDMENT OF BY-LAWS
The By-Laws may only be amended at an Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting and, i.e. all decisions shall be taken by a majority of the Active member present and voting. (As of November 01, 2021)
SKAL Tokyo History
After 10 years of negotiations and through the work of Matty Matsumura of Japan Airlines, PF / G.W. DENNY. FF / W.W. MITCHELL, W. WHITE, American Express, J.M. FOWLER, American Airlines, E.R. Egbert of American President Lines, Ichiro INUMARU of Imperial Hotel, T. PETERSEN, M.B. PRAY of United States Travel Service, S. Egami, Funi Tamamura of Fuji Tours, H.F. AGUIAR, G.H. Verhoef, Yukichi Abe of Japan Airlines, Yoshi Yoshimoto of Diners Club established SKAL International Tokyo on April 20, 1964.
Since then, the following persons acted as the president.
YEAR | PRESIDENT | COMPANY |
2017/2018 | Kayoko Inoue | US Travel Association |
2015/2016 | David Spence | Delta Airlines |
2013/2014 | Victor Osumi | IHG ANA Hotels Group |
2011/2012 | Peter Blumenstengel | German National Tourist Office |
2009/2010 | Hiroaki Kobayashi | Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts |
2007/2009 | Aaron Medina | Hertz Japan |
2005/2007 | Akio Hirao | Starwood Hotels Japan |
2003/2005 | Romano Mazzucco | Italian Chamber of Commerce in Tokyo |
2001/2002 | Koji Yamashita | ANA World Tours |
1999/2001 | Anthony Virili | Accor Asia Pacific |
1997/1999 | Yutaka Nakamura | Royal Park Hotel |
1995/1996 | Pablo Muller | Spanish National Tourist Office |
1993/1994 | Mamoru Sano | Air New Zealand Ltd. |
1991/1992 | Tony Buckley | Canadian Airlines Int. |
1990/1991 | J. Moritani | Travel Journal |
1987/1988 | M.Rasmussen | SAS |
1986/1987 | K. Sugahara | Jetour Inc. |
1980/1981 | Visit of M. Jacquemain | AISC President |
1978/1979 | Nobuo Matsumura | Japan Airlines |
1975/1976 | D.J.P Freeman | Cathay Pacific Airways |
1973/1975 | Fumio Tamamura | Fuji Tours International |
1972/1973 | Richard L. Rees | C.F. Sharp & Co. |
1970/1972 | Shigeo Kimura | Japan National Tourist Information |
1968/1970 | Eugene R. Egbert | American President Lines |
1966/1968 | M. Tachibana | Palace Hotel |
1965/1966 | Motosuke Yoshimoto | Japan Travel Bureau |