Founded in 1972, the Dutch Association for Travel Management (NATM) is the largest and leading trade association for travel managers and business travel buyers. Also in the 21st century, NATM is the most important partner for the travelling business community in the Netherlands. With its critical view of developments in the business travel world, NATM forms the best network for Travel Management in the Netherlands.

Objective
The association's objective is to promote the business travel interests of its member companies and organisations. To this end, developments within the travel industry are critically monitored and where possible influenced for the benefit of member companies.

Early years
The rise of multinational companies and the corresponding growth in international business led to a sharp increase in business travel in the early 1970s. By appointing a specialised officer (the travel manager) to organise this, organisations were able to make substantial savings.
Associations of travel managers were established in Belgium, France and Great Britain, and the idea was born to set up a similar association in the Netherlands following the foreign example. Mr Paul Straeter of airline SAS was the initiator for this. Finally, on Monday 11 December 1972, after nine months of preparation, the Dutch Association of Travel Managers in Business (NATM) was officially established at the American Hotel in Amsterdam.

Right from the start, NATM maintained intensive contacts with key suppliers, such as airlines, hotel chains, the NS and car rental companies. Those periodic discussions still take place today, including with KLM. One of the first meetings with KLM included discussions on the need for a special check-in desk for business travellers and to explore the possibilities of what was later called business class.

As a result of growth of the association and, consequently, an increase in the number of activities and operations, a conscious decision was made to have an external professional secretariat in early 1996. From September 1997, allied members will be admitted as members for the first time. The advantage of this is that questions about products and bottlenecks can be communicated quickly to the relevant supplier. With the symposium "Quo Vadis, the future of business travel", NATM celebrated its silver jubilee exactly 25 years after its foundation at the Kurhaus in Scheveningen.

Other highlights
2003 EBTA Congress (European Business Travel Association) at the new Dorint Sofitel Hotel at Schiphol Airport.
2004 The name Dutch Association for Business Travel Managers is changed to Dutch Association for Travel Management (NATM). Under this new name, it is now also possible for persons responsible for Travel Management of Purchasing, Facility Management, Human Resource, Finance and Executive Secretariat, among others, to join as members of the NATM.
2009 NATM becomes the first member of GBTA Europe, the pan-European trade association for travel management.

On 11 December 2012, it was exactly 40 years since NATM was founded at the American Hotel in Amsterdam. 2013 is designated as the anniversary year and several events will be organised throughout the year. Among others, an appealing symposium 'Innovation in Business Travel' will be organised on 12 March 2013 at the Hilton Hotel Amsterdam and will have André Kuipers and Erica Terpstra as keynote speakers and trend watcher Richard Lamb as chairman of the day.

In 2014, NATM is setting a new course and for this purpose, together with its members, has chosen to recruit a Managing Director.

International advocacy
Some issues in the business travel industry transcend national borders. NATM has therefore joined the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) Europe as a founding partner. This young, pan-European travel management association was launched on 6 January 2010 and, apart from NATM, consists of: ITM (England), FBTA (Finland), SBTA (Sweden), NBTA (Norway), IBTA (Spain), DBTA (Denmark), VDR (Germany) and ABTA (Austria). Participation in GBTA Europe gives NATM members access to international benchmarking, education & training, research & reports, Project Icarus (corporate social responsibility in business travel) and European events & conferences. GBTA Europe also gives member associations one powerful voice in Brussels on EU matters relating to business travel.

Establishment of European Network of Business Travel Associations [BT4Europe].

Thirteen business travel associations from countries across Europe have formed the 'European Network of Business Travel Associations' (BT4Europe). The new non-profit association will be headquartered in Brussels. Its 13 founding members have joined forces to give business travel buyers a stronger voice in Europe.

Millions of Europeans travel on business every year, thousands of jobs have been created and are needed to service business travel. In all European countries business travel on behalf of private corporations, public service and NGOs is vital to our economies and our societies. Up to now the buyers of business travel - companies, public services, NGOs - did not have a unified network to make their demands heard on a European level. BT4Europe will build a bridge between its member associations and political decision makers in Europe.

On top of its agenda are the recovery of business travel from Covid19 pandemic, changing business travel to make it more sustainable and promoting digital processes within business travel. BT4Europe will provide a network for its member associations and a platform for European decision makers to take the demands of business travel buyers into account in their decisions. Founding members of BT4Europe are ABTA (Austria), AEGVE (Spain), AITMM (Italy), AFTM (France), ASTM (Switzerland), BATM (Belgium), CORTAS (The Netherlands), DBTA (Denmark), FBTA (Finland), NATM (The Netherlands), NBTA (Norway), SBTA (Sweden) and VDR (Germany). BT4Europe remains open for membership of more associations and other supporting entities.