The recent ANVR congress in Asturias, Spain, was rated overall with an 8.7 by the participants. This is evident from a survey that the participants completed afterwards. ANVR director Frank Oostdam says he is proud of that result. ‘We look back on the conference with great satisfaction.’ According to the ANVR, the congress was mainly a celebration because of the beautiful spring weather. The theme ‘Travel, Tradition in Transition’ was well judged by the more than 190 participants. Many participants described the conference as ‘pleasant, interesting and well organised’. The critical note was that although the speakers were good, there were no female speakers. The focus was good this year, as it was more focused on the future through the presentation and discussion of the sustainability vision and innovation. The conference speakers were rated by the respondents with grades between a passing grade and a 9.4. In addition, the sustainability vision was seen as a difficult subject that was explained in a very accessible way, with a nice first step towards discussion. Some would have liked to do workshops in smaller groups on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) because this innovation is booming. ‘Of course, there are always subjects that are more interesting to some than others. And what was sometimes described by people as too much, for others was a nice glimpse into the future with practical tools.’ The business travel meeting was new this year and received a big 8 from the participants. Frank Oostdam and Arjen van Hijum, respectively as chairman and columnist score well above a 9 and are highly appreciated by all participants. The panel discussions scored a bit on the low side, although participants would like to have more interaction instead of just sending. ‘In the coming year, we are going to look at how we can do things differently, so that we can come up with something new next year.’ The flight with Transavia was rated with an 8.6. The Reconquista hotel was rated 8.2 as an overnight hotel and 8.4 as a conference location. Despite the fact that it was labeled as old-fashioned here and there and a bit too warm in the rooms, the participants especially found the historic look very special. The modern Barcelo hotel received an 8.7 as an overnight hotel, and Las Caldas received an 8.2 for the conference facilities, although the coffee break did not go entirely smoothly according to many. The SGR anniversary dinner in Tierra Astur received an 8.1 despite the occasional criticism of the amount of good food. The KLM party night in Nastura was rated with an 8.0 and received many compliments about the starters and the party. Many found the buffet a bit less. The highest figures (9.1 and 8.9) this year are without a doubt for the Picos de Europa. Everyone says they enjoyed these special UNESCO-protected mountains and lakes. Participants indicated that they would have liked to walk in smaller groups. According to the ANVR, that is reason enough to come back for a holiday and discover it for yourself. When asked what should be on the agenda for the next congress in Oman, the following suggestions were received: -How do we influence the intrinsic motivation to become more sustainable? Participants would like to receive practical tips on how to implement sustainability within the company. -Different generations in the workplace and a better connection between vocational education and the professional field. -Further digitisation of the travel industry with new technologies> ‘In Oman, we are once again looking for beautiful locations and an innovative interpretation and will certainly take the aforementioned points of attention into account,’ says Oostdam. Photo (from left to right): ANVR director Frank Oostdam, Ignacio Valle (director of the Spanish Tourist Office in The Hague), Lara Martínez Fernández (Deputy Minister of Tourism of Asturias) and ANVR chairman Arjan Kers (Archive photo TravMagazine). If you want to take a look at Dave Krut’s conference photos again, you can click here: Photos – Google Drive
