Annual Report 2019-2020

27 E F L I N G A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 9 – 2 0 2 0 Diverse services Today, 54 vacation houses are owned by Efling, but the number will be raised to 66 when the new neig- hborhood at Stóra Fljót has been fully constructed, which is clearly a great addition which will signi- ficantly enhance the union’s ability to meet the needs of its members. The demand for vacation options is ever-increasing among the members and it’s evident that it will continue to increase. Also, there is a great increase in wintertime rental and one can almost say that the houses are in full use the whole year round as it is. The vacation fund also provides various other services, including the very popular travel checks which are valid as payment at travel agencies. The vacation fund has also subsidized lodging at domestic locations, as well as several other travel-related expenses, such as camper rental. The camping- and fishing-cards are also quite popular and are sold to members with a significant discount. As in the previous years, two day-tours were taken at the end of the summer. There is a longstanding tradition for these tours andmany take themrepeated- ly. This time around, the rural areas of Árnessýsla were visited, along with its most marvelous natural sites. The turnout was good, with 130 people taking part. The younger members and families have been encouraged to come along and those efforts have started paying off. As usual, the tour ended with an extravagant soup buffet and the travelers were very satisfied with days well spent. A CAMPAIGN TO RENOVATE AND INCREASE THE NUMBER OF VACATION HOUSES The past operating year has been quite unusual with regards to both construction and changes to the vacation fund’s portfolio of properties. The board of the recreational fund, as well as the board of Efling, has taken the momentous and gratifying decision to add considerably to their selection of vacation houses, along with reducing the number of properties rented from others, opting instead for buying properties in popular locations where Efling has previously rented. Houses in Stykkishólmur, Hólmavík and at Hellishólar in Fljótshlíð have been acquired and other options are being examined. This is an ambitious goal and fully in keeping with the purpose of the unions’ vacation funds, namely to offer their members inex- pensive and good vacation options. A neighborhood of vacation houses is being built The biggest single task involves the construction of a new neighborhood of vacation houses for Efling at Stóra Fljót by Reykholt in Bláskógabyggð. By the end of this year, all the 12 houses planned for that cluster of properties will be ready. The first phase of the project is now near completion and the hope is that 6 houses will have been opened to the public in the late summer. This large, ambitious project will greatly alter the landscape of vacation matters for Efling and it’s fair to say that the vacation fund’s new center will be situated in the southern part of Iceland. The location is singularly convenient with regards to the available services close by and the natural beauty of the sur- roundings. It’s also evident that this great increase in the number of vacation houses will enable Efling to respond to the ever-increasing demand of union members for vacation spots. During the most hectic seasons, the union has only been able to grant the wishes of a portion of the union membership in this respect, although remarkably many have been served in some way. Other construction work is of course underway all year round. In the past year, one might mention that extensive renovations and alterations were made to the vacation houses in Svignaskarð, Ölfusborgir and Hvammur in Skorradalur. It’s fair to say, however, that daily oversight and care are the the most import- ant element in managing the properties.