Bangkok (Thailand) – March 28, 2018 (travelindex.com) – At the Annual General Meeting of Skal International Bangkok, held at the Lancaster Hotel Bangkok on March 28, 2018, Andrew J Wood was elected President.

Andrew has been a member of Skal for 26 years and is no newcomer to this position, having held the office of club president from 2008 to 2010.

Andrew is a long-standing member of Skal and was National President of Skal Intl Thailand and International Council Chairman from 2006 to 2010.

In 2010, Andrew was elected to the Executive Committee of Skal International and subsequently resigned from all his club and national team positions.

Andrew is also active at the regional level, serving as the acting Vice President for Southeast Asia for the Skal Asia region.

Mr. Wood commented on the election as follows: “The Bangkok Club has a long and successful history in Bangkok’s travel and tourism industry dating back to 1956. My thanks go to my predecessor, President Eric Hallin, and the entire Bangkok Club board. I am very pleased that Eric has now also been elected Vice President, thus ensuring the continuity that the club needs for its future development.”

“Bangkok is the most visited city in the world,” he said, “with over 21 million visitors annually. This surpasses London, Paris, and New York. Tourism in Thailand is booming and is expected to reach new record levels. I am firmly convinced that the Skál Club Bangkok can also grow and prosper and become one of the largest Skál Clubs in the world.”

“Skal International has over 14,000 members worldwide in 354 clubs across 83 countries. I see no reason why the Bangkok club shouldn’t also become one of the largest. My goal for the next two years is to be among the top five Skal clubs in the world,” he added.

At the club's annual general meeting, the following board members were also elected: Vice President: Mr. Eric Hallin, Secretary: Mr. Glen Grosic, Treasurer: Mr. Nicholas Moberg, Membership Officer: Mr. Tom Sorensen, Youth Officer: Dr. Scott Smith, Head of Public Relations and Communications: Ms. Sunny Yu, Events Manager: Mr. Khun Pichai Visutriratana, Auditor: Mr. Tomislav Babic

About Skål: Skål is an international organization of tourism industry leaders dedicated to global tourism and friendship. It is the only international association that unites all sectors of the travel and tourism industry. Its members, industry leaders and managers, meet at local, national, regional, and international levels to exchange ideas and conduct business.

The first club was founded in Paris in 1932 by tour guides after an educational trip through Scandinavia. The idea of ​​international friendship and goodwill grew, and in 1934 the "Association Internationale des Skål Clubs" was founded with Florimond Volckaert as its first president, who is considered the "father of Skål".

Skål International currently has around 14,000 members in 354 clubs across 83 countries. Most activities take place at the local level and are coordinated through the national committees under the umbrella of Skål International, whose headquarters are located at the General Secretariat in Torremolinos, Spain.

Skål International is governed by a six-member Executive Committee, whose members are elected by delegates to the annual General Assembly. This assembly takes place during the World Congress, which is hosted in a different country each year. This gives members direct insight into the global travel and tourism potential.

Mission statement: To be a trusted voice in the travel and tourism industry since 1934.

Mission statement: Through our leadership, professionalism and friendship, we work together to realize our vision, make optimal use of networking opportunities and support a responsible tourism industry.

For further information, please contact: Skal International Bangkok, Eric Hallin or Andrew Wood, Email: [email protected]