September 27, World Tourism Day has always been about looking at tourism's power to connect people and places. This year, Bangkok has another reason to celebrate. One day later, on September 28, 2026 Skål International Bangkok marks 70 years since its founding in 1956.
The timing could hardly be better. World Tourism Day 2026 carries the theme "Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism," putting the spotlight on how technology is changing the way travellers choose destinations, how businesses operate and how experiences are designed. The United Nations has also stressed that technology must serve people, communities and sustainable development.
For Skål Bangkok, that future-facing conversation arrives with seven decades of history behind it. Andrew J. Wood has traced the club's journey from a small circle of travel professionals into one of Asia's established tourism networking organisations. Founded when international travel was still limited, the club brought together executives from aviation, cruise, rail, hospitality and tour operations to exchange ideas and build relationships.
Wood's own Skål lineage mirrors much of that story. A Bangkok member since 1992, he has served on the Bangkok Executive Committee, twice as President of Skål International Bangkok, as National President of Skål International Thailand, as a Director of Skål International and as President of Skål International Asia. He is also a recipient of Skål's Order of Merit and President's Award and holds the distinction of Membre d'Honneur.
Across those years, the industry has changed beyond recognition, but the value of professional relationships has not. Skål Bangkok has continued to bring people together through regular events and industry engagement, while adapting its communications and outreach for a more digital tourism world.
That evolution is continuing under President James Thurlby, whose agenda has focused on membership growth, strategic partnerships and stronger industry engagement. As the club enters its eighth decade, the challenge is not simply to preserve a proud history, but to make that history relevant to the people who will shape tourism next.
"I have seen firsthand how Skål creates opportunities for promising young tourism professionals to learn from established industry leaders, build meaningful professional networks and grow into leadership roles," said Dr. Scott Michael Smith, Director of Young Skål Bangkok, who has been involved with Skål for two decades and has served the organisation at club, national and international levels. "As Skål Bangkok celebrates 70 years, one of the best ways we can honour that legacy is by opening doors for the people who will lead tourism through its next chapter."
That next chapter will be written in an industry increasingly influenced by artificial intelligence, digital platforms, sustainability and changing traveller expectations. Yet the anniversary is a reminder that tourism remains, at its heart, a people business.
On September 27, World Tourism Day asks the industry to consider how digital technology and AI can help redesign tourism. On September 28, Skål International Bangkok celebrates 70 years of bringing the people behind that industry together.
Seventy years on, the connections continue - and so does the journey.
