News Release

NORTH AMERICAN TOURISM LEADERS MEET IN ANCHORAGE

Anchorage, Alaska – May 6, 2009 – More than 200 travel and tourism professionals from throughout the U.S., Canada, and Mexico – coined ‘Skålleagues’ from the North American Alliance of Skål Clubs – are converging in Anchorage for the 48th Annual NAASC Congress from May 6 – 10, 2009.

Their visit to Alaska and business meeting in Anchorage is timely. Not only are they here for the start of the summer tourism season, but they are celebrating the 75th anniversary of Skål International, a professional organization of tourism leaders with approximately 22,000 members from 480 clubs located in 89 different nations of the world.

According to Steve Halloran, Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau vice president of community, member and visitor relations, Skål is the only international group uniting all branches of the travel and tourism industry with a membership made up of industry managers and executives, as well as Young Skål which was created in 1999 for young people studying tourism or entering the tourism industry.

“This is a great opportunity to showcase Anchorage and Southcentral Alaska to tourism professionals from throughout North America,” said Halloran.

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 Skål”.

Today, Hülya Aslantas heads up the organization as the international president. She shared in a recent issue of Skål News that the organization’s responsibility in the development of world tourism is to make sure that industry growth is sustainable and always about quality. She is blogging about her journeys visiting the various international clubs at www.skal.org during her reign as president.

The Anchorage Skål Club was formed in 1966 and continues to host monthly dinner meetings. Richard “Dick” Garvin, Robert J. “Bob” Larsen, and Bill Sheffield are recognized as Life Members.

The Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau’s (ACVB) mission is to attract and serve visitors to the Municipality of Anchorage as a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO). ACVB’s marketing functions are funded by one-third of the bed tax collected by lodging associations. One-third goes to the Municipality’s general fund, a contribution established in 1978, and one-third to service the bond debt and operations of the Anchorage Convention Centers. ACVB receives no state or federal funds. Explore www.Anchorage.net for more information.

Media Contacts:

Jeanette Anderson Moores
Public Relations
Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau
jmoores@anchorage.net
(907) 276-4118
Explore www.Anchorage.net

# # #