Almost half a century of commitment, travels, encounters and friendship with an organisation that became part of his life.
There are certain journeys within Skål’s history that are difficult to explain simply in terms of a position held or a sequence of dates. Josefa Díaz Delgado’s is one of them.
His involvement with Skål began in January 1977. Since then, congresses, international meetings, roles, projects and, above all, people have helped to shape a history spanning almost half a century.
The photographs that Josefa has compiled for Sinergia Skål offer a glimpse into part of that life. They are not intended to be an exhaustive account of events. They are a personal memoir woven from places, moments and people that help us understand what Skål has meant to her.
From Cádiz to the world
India, Colombia, Andorra, Panama, the Philippines, Germany, the United States, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Peru, Dubai, Kenya, China, Japan, Turkey…
The geography of Josefa Díaz Delgado’s memories also illustrates one of the characteristics that have historically defined Skål: tourism professionals from different countries who meet time and again and end up forging relationships that go far beyond a professional gathering.
The images show international conferences, meetings, events at FITUR and the World Travel Market, institutional visits, club events and celebrations.
But, taken as a whole, they tell a much simpler story: a life shared with Skål.
Josefa Díaz and the responsibility of representing Skål Spain
A particularly significant part of her career was her time as National President of Skål Spain.
In the report she has drawn up, Josefa highlights various initiatives and actions: the updating of the statutes, the founding of the Skål Classroom, Skål Spain’s representation in various parts of the world, the steps taken to try to revive clubs such as those in Ibiza and Mallorca and to promote others such as Huelva, as well as the request for an audience with the Royal Family.
His career has been marked by a significant international presence, but also by his work with clubs and his search for new ways to expand Skål’s presence and networks.
His memories also include the founding of Skål Europe in Paris, alongside numerous representatives of the organisation.
When Skål comes to the University
Among the initiatives Josefa highlights, there is one that is particularly interesting because of what it represents: the creation in 2018 of the Skål Classroom in partnership with the University of Cádiz.
The initiative brought Skål closer to the university environment and to those training to enter the tourism sector. It was a way of linking the experience gained by professionals with the sector’s younger generations.
It is one of those initiatives which, when viewed in the context of the years that have passed, help us to understand that the future of a professional organisation also depends on its ability to be open to those coming up through the ranks.
Memories that are part of a life
Some photographs inevitably have an institutional element. Others derive their value precisely from the opposite.
These include the meeting with His Majesty King Felipe VI in Cádiz in 2021, the Skål International Council held in Torremolinos in 2022, the 90th anniversary of Skål Paris, the world congresses, and the numerous meetings and gatherings held in various locations.
And then there are the meals, the celebrations, the reunions and those group photographs which, accumulated over decades, end up telling a story better than any list of positions held.
Because after travelling so many kilometres, memory does not seem to be built solely around places.
It is built around people.
Cádiz, ever-present
On that international journey, there is one place that crops up time and time again: Cádiz.
His connection with Skål Cádiz runs through the documentation and extends right up to the present day.
Among the most recent events highlighted by Josefa is also Cádiz’s international profile as the host city for the 2027 Skål World Congress, including its presentation in Cusco and subsequently at FITUR.
It’s a way of coming full circle: after decades of travelling with Skål across much of the world, Cádiz remains the place from which to look outwards once more.
One big family
But perhaps the most important of all the memories that Josefa Díaz Delgado has gathered is not to be found in any of those journeys.
It lies in the words she herself uses to sum up what Skål has meant in his life:
«Skal is my family, my big family, because although we are not related by blood, we are bound together by our hearts, and every single person I have met over the years has given me a little piece of their heart.».
And that is probably the explanation for all of the above.
It is difficult to remain connected to an organisation for almost half a century solely for professional reasons. Terms of office come to an end. Conferences draw to a close. People return from their trips.
What remains are the relationships forged along the way.
For Josefa Díaz Delgado, that journey began in January 1977.
And it’s still going on.