Earlier the logo was surveyed as the ANVR's public image. The results were impressive.
- Spontaneous awareness of the ANVR is 47 per cent.
- Assisted awareness of the ANVR is 85 per cent (although somewhat lower in the 18-24 age group: 64 per cent).
- 38 per cent check that a provider is an ANVR member.
- 29 per cent would never book with a non-member.
The ANVR is seen as an organization...
- Which offers guarantees.
- To which good travel agencies and tour operators are affiliated.
- Which helps to solve disputes.
Respondents also stated that they recognize the ANVR logo. They may not know exactly what the ANVR does, but it gives them a "good feeling".In short, the ANVR name and logo are known and valued by your client. And we are constantly developing new initiatives to retain that confidence.
Assistance and support
The ANVR offers you comprehensive management assistance and support.
- You receive ANVR News by e-mail. This is packed with tips and advice for the travel industry.
- At www.anvr.nl you will find reliable travel information for your customer, including answers to frequently asked questions, travel advisories and country and health information.
- In the members-only section at www.anvr.nl, you will find professional tips, background information, detailed figures, standard procedures, checklists and so on.
- We organize regular meetings, courses and workshops on specific subjects for you and your staff.
- You can put specific questions to our Member Information Department by e-mail. We guarantee that you will receive an answer within 2 x eight working hours.
- Once a year you receive the ANVR/TravMagazine Directory, containing the addresses of embassies, airlines, schools and, of course, your fellow members.
The data you need to know
Our monthly surveys track bookings by destination, compared with the previous year, based upon figures supplied by retail. This is a unique service. It provides you with a wealth of information to help design your products.
Monthly airline-industry billing and settlement plan figures covering many years are available. The ANVR regularly commissions research reports into this data, releasing the results exclusively to members.
Excellent terms and conditions
As an ANVR member, you can make free use of our standard terms and conditions for bookings, tours and air travel. The first two of these were compiled in consultation with the Dutch Consumers' Association, so your clients can rest assured that their travel arrangement are subject to fair, customer-friendly conditions.
We have also compiled standard agency terms and conditions for the agreements between travel agents and tour operators. These govern such matters as the tasks and responsibilities of each party, and their working relationship. There is no obligation to follow the standard terms, however, so agencies and operators are free to adapt the arrangements to suit their own needs.
Benefit from collective agreements
The many collective agreements negotiated by the ANVR for its members can give you big savings on key business services. For example...
- STN offers a contract providing very low-cost telephony, both fixed-line and mobile.
- Nedland Incasso can help you solve debt-collection problems.
- We have agreed low rates for credit-card acceptance.
- Occupational health service Commit offers you discounts, a prenegotiated return-to-work agreement and keen rates with Salto Reïntegratie and the Absenteeism Management Package from Interpolis.
- You can take out attractive absenteeism insurance cover.
- Discount rates from TNT for the delivery of packages or tickets.
- The Schiphol Taxi transfer service for your customers, providing you with an easy-to-offer extra product.
- Special visa services from Visumdienst.
Representation in collective bargaining
The ANVR represents its members in negotiations with the trade unions and other professional bodies on the collective labour agreement for travel industry. We also offer collective insurance cover and have compiled an Occupational Health Checklist to encourage safe and healthy working. We keep you up to date with negotiations and their results though ANVR News.
We are also active in education and training. For example, we compile job profiles for the travel industry to help schools train their students effectively. By maintaining a dialogue with the education sector, we help to ensure that student trainees coming to the industry have the right basic knowledge and skills. It is in your interest that new recruits become productive as soon as possible. Your ANVR membership contributes towards that.
National and international lobbying
In order to actively promote our members' interest, the ANVR is represented on all relevant national consultative bodies and interest groups, including the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers' (VNO-NCW) Tourism and Leisure Forum. Internationally, we are a member of the Group of National Travel Agents and Tour Operators' Associations within the EU (ECTAA) and the Guild of European Business Travel Agents (GEBTA). We also maintain close ties with the education sector.
Your ANVR membership helps us to lobby for improvements in the position of travel businesses. An activity which has already produced impressive results. For example, we were behind the initiatives to introduce the new Travel Offers Code and the Emergency Fund for Travellers, as well as long-term framework contracts with suppliers like KLM. We have also pursued numerous legal cases to protect and defend travel businesses. By joining the ANVR, you play your part in improving the situation for the entire industry. Through everything from greater staggering of school holidays to unscrambling obscure airport charges and putting agents' relationship with IATA on a more equal footing.
Your vote counts!
The ANVR is a democratic organization. Its overall governing body is the General Assembly of Members. As a member, you have a voice and you have a vote. Not just in the General Assembly, but also through a series of forums dedicated to specific topics of interest to travel agents and tour operators. These are also a good way to keep in touch with your fellow travel businesses, as are our annual conference and regular symposiums. Finally, you can contact our office directly to let us know what you think. All input from members is most welcome. Without it, we cannot work effectively on your behalf.
Criteria and requirements for admission to ANVR membership
Every applicant...
• Must be a member a Travel Refund Guarantee Fund (Stichting Garantiefonds Reisgelden, SGR).
• Must be of good standing, as proven by a Certificate of Good Behaviour (Verklaring Omtrent Gedrag, VOG) issued by the Department of Justice within the past three months. A sole trader or unlimited liability partnership (VOF) must provide a Personal VOG, other forms of business a VOG for Legal Entities.
• Must...
- If a new business, provide a business plan including financial forecasts for the next two years. This is assessed by the association to confirm that the required annual turnover of €500,000 is reasonably likely to be achieved within two years.
- If a tour operator, have an annual turnover of at least €500,000.
- If a travel agent, have an annual turnover of at least €500,000 or complete at least 500 bookings per annum, as confirmed by an auditor's report.
• Must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the association that the business and the persons in its employ hold the relevant professional qualifications, permits and licences necessary for their activities. Full details of these are available from the ANVR.
A tour operator applicant...
• Must be a member of Calamiteitenfonds.
• Must be a genuine tour operator. That is, it must under its own name offer package tour programmes lasting more than one day, and it must advertise them in annual or seasonal brochures or through other media.
• Must, when using coach services, work only with holders of the Coach Industry Quality Mark (Keurmerk Touringcarbedrijf).
• Must, if it operates its own coach services, hold the Coach Industry Quality Mark.
• Must be a member a Travel Refund Guarantee Fund (Stichting Garantiefonds Reisgelden, SGR).
• Must, within six months after becoming a member of the ANVR, obtain basic environmental product certification ("PMZ-basiscertificaat").
• Must, once a member, submit its monthly booking figures to the ANVR for statistical purposes.
A travel agent applicant...
• Must be a genuine travel agent. That is, it must mediate for and advise consumers, and book travel products on their behalf. If required, it should also be able to provide so-called "dynamic packaging": compiling ad-hoc travel packages at the consumer's request.
• Must, once a member, take out liability insurance in accordance with the ANVR rules for travel agent insurance (details enclosed).
• Must comply with the ANVR quality standards for travel agents, in terms of booking facilities, staff training, proper complaints procedures and so on (details enclosed).
An air ticketing agency or business travel agency applicant...
• Must be a genuine air ticketing agency or business travel agency. That is, it must mainly mediate for and advise business customers and mainly book scheduled air tickets and other travel products on their behalf.
• Must be registered as an IATA approved agent.
Joining and membership fees
The annual membership fee consists of a flat-rate payment which is the same for all members plus a variable component linked to annual turnover in the Netherlands.
Each year, the Executive Committee submits a proposal for both parts of the membership fee to the General Assembly of Members for its approval.
The current flat-rate contribution is €1200 per annum. The additional variable component, based upon turnover as registered with the Travel Refund Guarantee Fund (Stichting Garantiefonds Reisgelden, SGR), is calculated using the following scale.
- On the first €10 million of turnover: 0.011%.
- On turnover between €10 million and €50 million: 0.015%.
- On turnover between €50 million and €100 million: 0.014%.
- On turnover between €100 million and €250 million: 0.013%.
- On turnover over and above €250 million: 0.011%.
New members are charged a once-only joining fee of €900.
In addition to the above all members have the obligation to pay a fee for the 'Geschillencommissie'.
Travel agent € 150 / year
Tour operator (turnover < € 10 million) € 250 / year
Tour operator (turnover between € 10 - € 50 million) € 750 / year
Tour operator (turnover > € 50 million) € 1.500 / year