Skål Europe opened a debate on reform after a disputed IT loss of more than half a million euros

Skål Europe launched a global debate on reform after a disputed IT loss of more than half a million euros

Skål Europe has opened an extensive consultation on the future of Skål International after reform documents and publicly available announcements highlighted that multi-year investments in digital projects exceeded 500,000 euros, yet did not deliver the expected functional result. It is a process that was presented on 22 May 2025 at an online meeting with club presidents and representatives from Europe, with the participation of international guests and members of the leadership of Skål International. At the center of the debate are not only the costs of failed platforms, but also the broader issue of governance, financial oversight, transparency of decision-making and the ability of an international tourism association to adapt to the demands of modern membership.

According to the Skål Europe announcement, the meeting was conceived as an open dialogue on the future strategic mandate of Skål International. Two working documents were presented to the participants: one deals with financial management, operational reform and the case of failed digital transformation, while the other proposes a possible new mandate for the organization, with a stronger emphasis on services to clubs, visibility in the tourism sector and a more modern digital infrastructure. Skål Europe states that the documents were developed at club level and that they serve as a basis for discussion, not as a pre-concluded plan.

The digital project became a symbol of a broader governance problem

The reform document published by Skål Europe states that Skål International invested in digital transformation between 2017 and 2025, including the Odoo and Omnigo platforms, but that the projects did not deliver a lasting and complete solution. According to the presentation in the document, development of the Odoo platform in the period from 2017 to 2020 amounted to 369,481 euros, additional modifications and upgrades in the period from 2021 to 2022 amounted to another 78,500 euros, while the Omnigo WordPress website project from 2022 to 2024 was listed at 58,500 euros. The total IT cost is shown as 506,481 euros, with the assessment that most of the amount was written off or did not bring a strategic return.

The document particularly emphasizes that the stated amounts do not include all related costs. The additional notes mention consulting costs, management time, legal and negotiation costs, urgent website stabilization, the Skål application, graphic and PR consulting, and reputational damage due to the non-functional website. In this way, the case is not presented only as a technical failure, but as an example of weaknesses in planning, contracting, monitoring implementation and reporting on projects financed by membership money.

The authors of the reform document assess that the problem cannot be reduced to one contract or one administration. They cite as key weaknesses short political cycles in which priorities change from year to year, the absence of a professional project structure independent of internal politics, the lack of standardized tender procedures and financial reporting that presents costs too broadly, without clear project breakdowns. Within such a framework, according to the document, members can hardly track what the funds are spent on and what the real result of the invested money is.

Clubs are demanding transparency, accountability and a clearer mandate

The consultation launched by Skål Europe placed clubs at the center of the debate. According to a report by TravelDailyNews International, the online meeting brought together more than 60 members and representatives from different parts of the world, including members of the Executive Board of Skål International. Skål Europe announced that the goal was to open an inclusive process in which clubs can directly participate in shaping a proposal that should be submitted to the Annual General Assembly during the Skål International World Congress in Cusco, Peru.

Skål Europe President Franz Heffeter was presented in published reports as one of the key advocates of an approach according to which the mandate for change must come from the clubs, and not only from the central leadership. Vice President Paolo Bartolozzi coordinated the process which, according to Skål Europe, also included a discussion on concrete corrective measures. Among them are transparent contracting, project-based financial reporting by cost centers, greater control of major investments by the membership and the use of ESG certification as an additional framework for governance accountability.

The available reform materials explicitly emphasize that the process is not conceived as a personal reckoning with previous leaderships. The document claims that its goal is to continue the governance reform started in 2022, but with a shift from the issue of structure and elections of the Executive Board to operational transparency, financial accountability and long-term project management. Such a tone is important because it shows an attempt to turn dissatisfaction over a concrete IT loss into an institutional debate on rules, procedures and standards.

From Skål Rome to a European and global initiative

According to the Skål Europe announcement, the reform process originated from Skål Rome as a response to the decision to terminate the contract with the company that was working on the new Skål International website. The initiative then developed into a broader working group, and the first document on financial waste and governance reform was formally accepted by Skål Europe. The second document, which deals with the organization’s new strategic mandate, was also created in that circle and is now included in the consultation process.

Published reports point out that Skål Europe, due to its mandate and limitations related to the GDPR, communicates directly with European clubs, but that the process itself is conceived more broadly and openly. Other areas and clubs have been invited to join the dialogue or launch their own discussion platforms. This gives the initiative a broader significance than a European regional debate: it is an attempt to shape pressure from the membership base for the reform of an international organization that brings together professionals from travel and tourism.

Participants’ reactions, according to the texts published by Skål Europe, showed similar concerns in different clubs. Comments by representatives from Monaco, Germany, Austria, South Africa, Croatia and Italy are mentioned, with an emphasis on the need for modernization, strengthening credibility and attracting younger generations of tourism professionals. Alan Račić from Skål Croatia, according to the Skål Europe announcement, warned that problems with the website and the outdated image of the organization are not merely cosmetic, but directly affect credibility.

What the reform proposes and why it matters for the tourism network

The proposed measures are directed at several levels. The first concerns financial control: the reform document calls for a clearer presentation of costs by project, stronger oversight of major investments and an obligation for the membership to be included in decisions that have a greater financial impact. The second level concerns procurement and contracting, where structured tenders, transparent criteria and professional project management are advocated. The third level includes ethical and governance safeguards, including conflict-of-interest rules, independent monitoring and stronger accountability mechanisms.

The idea that future digital projects should not be launched before the organization clearly determines what it wants to achieve, which functionalities clubs and members need, and how success will be measured is particularly highlighted. The reform document states that the future front platform of Skål International should not be created merely as a technical solution, but as the result of jointly agreed needs. Only after such alignment, the document says, should an appropriate and cost-effective technological solution be sought.

For an organization that presents itself as a global network of tourism professionals, digital infrastructure is not a secondary issue. The website, member database, tools for communication, club promotion, congress activities and connecting business contacts form the basis of today’s membership value. If these systems are not functional or have not been developed with clear accountability, the consequences are measured not only in written-off costs, but also in a loss of trust, weaker visibility and more difficult involvement of new generations.

Skål International between tradition and the need for modernization

Skål International is an international organization of tourism professionals founded in 1934, and the organization’s official website states that it brings together approximately 12,500 members in 294 clubs in 75 countries. The organization has traditionally relied on a network of local clubs, national and area committees and the annual World Congress, at which the General Assembly is also held. In such a structure, local clubs have an important role because they are precisely the ones that maintain daily contact with the membership, organize events and create professional connections in the tourism industry.

This is exactly why the debate on reform is not only an internal administrative issue. It concerns the model in which a global organization adapts to changes in tourism, technology and the expectations of professionals. In recent years, the tourism sector has been undergoing strong changes, from the digitalization of sales and promotion to sustainability, data, new business models and stronger competition for the attention of younger professionals. In that context, membership fees and institutional affiliation must be connected with clear value that members can recognize.

For that reason, the reform documents speak of Skål International not only as a hierarchical organization, but as a global service platform for clubs. In that model, the central structure should help clubs with promotion, digital work, presence at major tourism events, visibility before institutions and the development of programs that bring measurable benefits to the membership. Such an approach does not abolish the organization’s tradition, but attempts to translate it into conditions in which professional networks are increasingly built digitally and internationally.

Cusco as a politically important point in the process

According to available announcements, the reform proposal was to be submitted to the Annual General Assembly during the 84th Skål International World Congress in Cusco, which was announced for the period from 25 to 30 September 2025. Official information from Skål International describes the World Congress as an annual gathering of members in different countries, with the holding of the General Assembly and the election of a new Executive Board. For that reason, such a congress is not only a networking event, but also a space in which the direction of the organization is decided.

If the reform proposals gain broader support, the debate launched after the IT loss could grow into a longer-term institutional process. Otherwise, the organization could remain faced with the same questions opened by the clubs: how major investments are approved, who supervises implementation, how members receive information, why earlier projects did not deliver the expected results and what will prevent similar problems from recurring. The currently available materials do not show that the final reform model has already been adopted, but that the process has been opened through documents, a survey and discussion among clubs.

The most important outcome of the launched consultation could be a change in the way problems are discussed. Instead of treating the failed IT project as an isolated cost, Skål Europe positioned it as a sign of a deeper need for more modern governance. In this way, the financial loss became a reason to ask a question of trust: can an international membership organization that invokes professionalism, friendship and global connection in tourism develop a governance model that will be sufficiently transparent, effective and convincing for members in the coming period.

Sources:
- Skål Europe – announcement on the club consultation and documents for the future strategic mandate of Skål International (link)
- Skål Europe – report on the reform process, club debate and strategic survey (link)
- Skål Europe / PDF – “Governance, Financial Waste, and Strategic Reform”, document on IT investments, governance weaknesses and reform proposals (link)
- TravelDailyNews International – report on the global consultation, the meeting of 22 May 2025 and reform proposals (link)
- Skål International – official information on the organization’s membership, clubs and global network (link)
- Skål International – information on the organization’s structure and the role of the General Assembly during the World Congress (link)