Royal Dutch Touring Club ANWB

The ANWB was founded on July 1, 1883 in Utrecht by members of the velocipede clubs in The Hague and Haarlem under the name Nederlandsche Vélocipèdisten-Bond. The club then had 200 members. Two years later the name was changed to Algemene Nederlandsche Wielrijders-Bond, where the abbreviation A.N.W.B. comes from. Since the association was formally called 'tourist association' (1905), the letters ANWB no longer have any meaning.

Since the end of the nineteenth century, the association has been concerned not only with cyclists, but also with motorists, hikers, horse riders, motorcyclists, water sports enthusiasts, winter sports enthusiasts and campers. The ANWB had 4.561.335 members in 2018, making it the largest association in the Netherlands.

In addition to selling insurance, travel and testing, there is also the Wegenwacht (founded in 1946), an emergency center and legal assistance activities of the ANWB. The ANWB publishes twelve magazines, including the association magazine, De Kampioen. In addition, the association is a publisher of travel guides. The ANWB also provides signage on local and provincial roads.

Since the end of the eighties, the ANWB has also provided traffic information for regional and national radio stations. In 1998 the ANWB entered into an agreement with the Dutch Public Broadcasting to provide traffic reports on all national public radio stations. In 2006, the traffic information department was downsized due to a reorganization.

The ANWB is important as a lobby organization for Dutch motorists, due to the association's influence on Dutch politics.