It was with some hesitation that the Royal Coast Review requested an interview with Andrew J Wood, knowing this was during his vacation time in Hua Hin. However as the newly elected SKÅL International President for Asia, Andrew very quickly agreed to meet. He never really puts his SKÅL responsibilities aside and he’s always willing to share the SKÅL story; even during his holidays.
Andrew’s a frequent visitor to Hua Hin from Bangkok, not only because he relishes the opportunity of strolling along the beach frontage of the Hyatt Regency Resort and staying at his favourite ground level suite poolside.
Relaxing at the Hyatt is also an opportunity to reminisce about a time when he was recuperating from a serious medical episode when the Hyatt gardens and ocean vista helped him to regain his good health.
Andrew was a SKÅL member long before being elected at the SKÅL International Asia’s 50th Asian Area Annual General Assembly as Asian President for 2021-2023. He’s long been one of the region’s most visible Skålleagues as a member of almost 30 years standing. He was first elected to the Asia Board in 2005 and completed his second term as President of Thailand’s oldest club – Bangkok, before accepting his new position.
SKÅL International is the largest travel and tourism organisation in the world with a membership is made up of top executives in the tourism industry. By attending local meetings, congresses and other events, members are able to meet industry colleagues from clubs throughout the world with the chance to make contacts, on both a business and personal level, and to forge new and lasting friendships.
SKÅL International in Asia has six clubs in Thailand, including Hua Hin. The Asian region is the most diverse area in the world of SKÅL, spanning from Guam in the Pacific Ocean over more than 10,000 km to Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. With clubs in 15 countries, the Asian Area accounts for almost twenty percent of all SKÅL International’s global members.
In accepting his position in the midst of the Covid crisis, the newly elected President believes “a crisis is the most important time to get together”. With announcements days before our meeting that November will see Thailand being opened to international visitors, he is now even more confident that the tourism industry can look to the future with renewed optimism.
Andrew’s well aware of the role that Hua Hin Airport is destined to play in opening up the region to international travellers under the Phoenix-Plan with direct flights soon coming to Hua Hin, especially from countries within the SKÅL Asian region.
“Our economies may be badly weakened as a consequence of closed borders, and no-one can under-estimate the global damage to our industry. It has, however, given us a rare opportunity to press the reset button, to undo past wrongs and make them right.”
Andrew says ‘undoing past wrongs’ is largely about tourism showing a lead in adopting sustainability strategies that will overcome the problems posed by past practices. These practices may have exploited, rather than nurtured natural resources and tourism assets that Thailand has in abundance but may not have carefully managed.
Even at a micro-level he hopes to see resorts adopting more sustainable practices, just becoming more self-sufficient in managing waste, energy or even establishing ‘in house’ vegetable gardens and other produce requirements can make a big difference.
Under Andrew’s leadership we can expect to see a re-emergence of SKÅL activities, including at a local level, after a period when Covid-related restrictions prevented the usual gatherings aimed to promote global tourism.
With only ‘virtual’ congresses in the world of SKÅL since the start of the pandemic, he says that he is delighted that plans are already well-advanced for the SKÅL Asian Area Congress planned to be held in Phuket in June 2022. This will be when Thailand hosts the sustainably inspired #RediscoverThailand, Asian Area Congress, a gathering that is expected to attract over 300 delegates.
Our thanks to Andrew for his willingness to interrupt his vacation. He just casually says he always enjoys meeting with people, one of the hallmarks of a true tourism professional; especially when there’s a chance to tell the story of the mission of SKÅL International.
