Tokyo, JAPAN: The SKÅL Club of Tokyo recently held their Monthly Meeting at the Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel.

The donation was kindly received by Ms. Inna Ilina, Third Secretary, Economic and Cultural Affairs of the Embassy of Ukraine in Japan, who joined the meeting of Skål International Tokyo as a guest of the club and it’s President Hisaaki Takei of Seibu Prince Hotels Worldwide.

With the consent of the members the collected funds were combined with the sales of the auction from the Christmas party making a total ¥EN 500,000  (USD$ 3,900). The donation resolution was unanimously adopted to give funds for Ukraine at the regular meeting in April.

Skål International Tokyo the global membership organisation of tourism professionals, presented the club’s donation supporting the people of Ukraine in a ceremony on May 9, 2022 at Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel (Shibuya, Tokyo).

In presenting the donation, club President Takei said, “I hope it will be useful for supporting the people of Ukraine, and I hope that a peaceful day will come soon”.

Ms. Ilina thanked the club saying, “Thank you everyone for supporting Ukraine. The Embassy has opened an account with a Japanese bank at the beginning of the invasion, and every day there are many donations. We receive support money and send it to Ukraine every day for humanitarian assistance”. She went on to emphasise the Ukrainian people’s determination explaining, “Ukraine is in a very difficult time now, but I feel your support very much, and your support resonates with the people of Ukraine. We Ukrainians must continue to do our best. We are not only protecting our own country, but also fighting for the people of the whole world”. The room erupted in spontaneous applause.

The ceremony was followed by dinner which began with macaroons in the Ukrainian colors arranged as a surprise dish by the hotel chef. Ms. Ilina, who was also a Japanese teacher in Ukraine, is fluent in Japanese. Over dinner she conveyed that she is busy with embassy work while worrying about the current state of her country and her family remaining in Kiev. She told how children in Japan visit the embassy bringing their own pocket money to donate. She also shared Ukraine’s appeal as a travel destination.

Club President Takei closed the meeting by saying, “We, the people involved in the tourism industry, will continue to support the people of Ukraine however we can. One idea is to consider providing delicious Ukrainian wine at our hotels”. He encouraged the members, many of whom are hotel general managers, to seek out and promote Ukrainian wine in their properties. Finally, members took a commemorative photo with Ms. Ilina.

Skål International Tokyo was established in 1964. Currently, there are 64 members, and in addition to holding a regular meeting once a month, it also holds a charity auction each year and donates the proceeds to causes selected by members. In the past, Skål International Tokyo has made donations to the Guide Dog Association and ‘Run for the Cure’, an activity aimed at early detection of breast cancer.

Skål International is an advocate of global tourism, focused on its benefits–happiness, good health, friendship, and long life. Founded in 1934, Skål International is the only organization of tourism professionals worldwide promoting global Tourism and friendship, uniting all sectors of the Tourism industry.