Less than a year after the start of the collaboration, Radboud University is parting ways with travel agent VCK Travel. According to the university, VCK Travel could not meet its requirements. For its part, the travel agency is blaming the university.

In early 2024, the university announced its collaboration with new travel agent VCK Travel to great fanfare. All multi-day business trips at the educational institution should now be arranged through the travel agent. This would make travel much more environmentally friendly and safe, and booking more convenient.

A year later, however, Radboud University has a new travel agent: Diversity Travel. The collaboration with VCK has been terminated. According to the university spokesperson, this was because the travel agency did not meet the requirements set out in the tender. These include the lack of the option to book through Airbnb and no option for family members to travel with them at their own expense. The parties also had different ideas on how to book group tours and conferences.

Solutions

‘Shortly after the implementation, we found that these services were not provided or not provided correctly and VCK Travel was given the opportunity to remedy this,’ said the university spokesperson. ‘From the start of the contract, the problems were discussed. Small steps were then sometimes taken, but several issues remained that were not resolved by VCK. Despite multiple interventions, this was not addressed satisfactorily in time and the decision was taken to switch to Diversity Travel.’

‘While we were still in the start-up phase, the university indicated it did not want to continue the collaboration’

For the travel agency, however, the university is mainly to blame. ‘While we were still in the start-up phase, the university indicated it did not want to continue the collaboration,’ according to a company spokesperson. ‘VCK Travel repeatedly contacted the university and made various improvement proposals, but it is disappointing that these proposals were not accepted by Radboud University.’

VCK did not come up with concrete solutions until January 2025, according to the university spokesperson. ‘Due to the long lead time and lack of concrete solutions, there is a negative sentiment at the university regarding the collaboration. On that basis, it was concluded that restoration of trust was no longer feasible and the agreement was terminated.’

Upload copy of passport

The inability to book through Airbnb appears to have been a particular source of contention. To book accommodation through the platform, travellers have to upload a copy of their passport, which also reaches the accommodation owners.

‘We advise companies to avoid this,’ said a VCK Travel spokesperson. ‘This is in breach of EU law and the central government also warns about not providing copies of passports unless absolutely necessary. And this should not be necessary for an Airbnb booking,’ she emphasises.

‘In the early days, our travel consultants were regularly treated rudely’

Despite the privacy risk, the university still chooses to book trips through the platform. ‘It is not recommended, but not banned. The university acknowledges the risks but chooses to maintain flexibility in booking options within the applicable regulations.’ Sometimes there is a need for Airbnb accommodation, for example due to location, availability, price advantages or functional requirements, said the university spokesperson.

Clearly, the two sides did not get on well from the start. A VCK spokesperson attributes this to the fact that it was hard for staff at the university to get used to the new booking process. ‘For many travellers, the importance of efficiency and security offered by a business travel agency seemed secondary. In the early days, our travel consultants were regularly treated rudely.’

This is said to have improved over time, after a period of adjustment. ‘However, the (negative, ed.) sentiment among travellers has, in our opinion, been an important factor throughout the collaboration.’

New booking module

Why didn’t the university immediately partner with Diversity Travel, which also arranges travel for six other higher education institutions in the Netherlands? ‘Based on the assessment in the tender relating to quality and price, VCK Travel had made the best offer on paper and emerged as the winner,’ explained a university spokesperson.

From 1 March, staff must use Diversity Travel’s booking module. For employees who have already booked their business trip through VCK Travel, nothing will change: their trip will continue as normal and VCK’s services will continue. Only new trips can no longer be booked through that module.