Anyone who would leave on a trip a year ago will soon finally receive value for their own money. After 12 months of waiting in vain, the reward is in sight and the vouchers must be paid. Branch organization ANVR and many travel agencies are eagerly looking forward to the coming period. Consumers are entitled to a full refund up to twelve months after the issue of a voucher. More than 600 million in travel vouchers have to be paid out in the coming weeks.
The Dutch want to leave en masse. GfK research by the travel sector ANVR last week shows that no less than 84% of the Dutch are ready for a holiday, of which more than half have a destination somewhere in Europe in mind. Despite frantic efforts by Frank Oostdam, chairman of the ANVR, and the travel sector, it is not possible to book en masse. We are still obliged to remain in our own country, which has caused a fall in turnover of 85% in the sector. Worse, the cabinet's advice not to travel abroad was extended this week to April 15. Companies do everything they can to persuade customers to book a trip and use the voucher for a new trip.
Yet the vast majority want their money back because no prospects are offered for a new trip. Except for a few countries, the world is still locked and after all, not everyone wants to go to Dubai or Iceland. In the meantime, more than three hundred travel companies have already signed up for the emergency fund, which runs through the SGR. To prevent travel companies from getting into major liquidity problems, the government has set up a voucher fund. Nice initiative, but the fund still has to get the green light from the European Commission. Only after approval can the government and the Stichting Garantiefonds Reisgelden (SGR) start paying out to the entrepreneurs.
butter with the fish
Many customers have never accepted a voucher and wanted to see butter with the fish. That has become a major factor in recent months riots led. More than half of the new bookings are paid with vouchers, but given the low percentage of bookings, a huge amount will remain available in the next two months. Our editorial team has been writing for almost a year that a customer does not have to accept a voucher. In the past we have dealt with cases from Sunweb en Airtrade who similarly kept customers on the leash in order to extend the term and delay the payment of an unsolicited voucher. Time and again, consumers run into problems because of the attitude of many travel companies.
ANVR travel companies follow the travel advice of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, the sector is urging the government to individually assess destinations within and outside the EU as to whether they can be traveled. And if you book your trip enthusiastically and your holiday destination is still on orange next summer, the travel organization will not execute and you will still receive your travel sum back. If traveling is possible and allowed again, travel organizations will do everything they can to let you enjoy a 'normal' holiday as much as possible; although in this 'new normal' we will have to deal with local rules for the time being.
Also read: Urgent ANVR appeal: 'Use your vouchers as soon as possible'
