Viedma – Patagones 2024
Photo: Marcelo Ochoa
On April 25, in the Argentine city of Santa Fe and within the framework of the 48th SKAL Latin American Congress, the twinning of the clubs of that entity from Cochabamba, in Bolivia, and Viedma-Patagones, from Argentina, was celebrated.
SKAL is the international professional organization that integrates all tourism activities. It is made up of managers, executives and journalists specialized in the sector.
The first club of this type was founded in Paris on December 16, 1932 with travel agents and transport companies.
In 1934 – ninety years ago – the entity spread to several countries and this led to the founding of the AISC (International Association of Skal Clubs), which took place on April 28 of that year. Its first president was the Frenchman Florimond Volckaert.
It is important to highlight that SKAL is the only entity in the world that, by including all tourism sectors, is the main spokesperson and manager of the travel activity.
And so it is recognized at the level of governments as well as the different private sectors.
It is part of UN TOURISM – the World Tourism Organization – belonging to the United Nations and whose general secretariat is based in Madrid.
They participate in the main world tourism fairs, such as the ITB, in Berlin; FITUR, in Madrid; WTM, in London; WTM, in Africa and South America (Sao Paulo, Brazil), among others.
The SKAL of Cochabamba was founded in Bolivia in July 1991. In turn, SKAL Viedma Patagones was founded in August 1997. Following parameters established at an international level, twinning between Skalega clubs from different locations is very common, both in the same country or from different nations.
In the case of Cochabamba and Viedma Patagones, There is the unprecedented originality that both cities are already twinned. This came to fruition in September 2008, when the then municipal mayor of Viedma, Jorge Ferreira, and the mayor of Cochabamba, Gonzalo Tercero Rojas They signed the brotherhood agreement in the city of Bolivia.
And this is due to the uniqueness that Francisco de Viedma (also spelled Biedma) and Narváez, Spanish sailor, explorer of the Argentine Patagonian coast, was the one who founded it in 1779 the seat of the Carmen fort, which was later established as the city of Viedma. Francisco de Viedma was later governor of the new Municipality of Cochabamba from 1785, city where he died and is currently buried.
From now on, in addition to strengthening ties, both SKAL entities, in Cochabamba and Viedma-Patagones, will be able to advance in organizing meetings to promote the tourist resources of both destinations, as well as encourage other integrative actions.
It is always appropriate to remember the hymn to friendship, written by the Uruguayan Omar Testa, from the Punta del Este club, which says “let’s join our hands right away, let’s go in search of friendship: health, happiness and long life, with a lot of love and cordiality, practicing our philosophy, sowing peace and brotherhood.”