The history of our close collaboration dates back about 10 years. At that time, the situation in Wormerveer was far from rosy. At that time, there were many vacant storefronts in Wormerveer, the housing stock was old and limited, and most importantly: residents and business owners lacked the confidence to turn the tide. Furthermore, the municipality’s focus was not yet on Wormerveer but on the “
” Zaanse Stadshart with Inverdan area development

Unfortunately, the small initiatives that had already been launched in Wormerveer were not yielding enough results at the time. Something had to be done. . Put Wormerveer (back) on the map as a great place to live, work, and shop. A place we could all be proud of again! This was also the moment when we, as two residents, decided to take action and roll up our sleeves. We had no shortage of ambition and energy; with the name Hotspot Wormerveer,
we set the bar high.

So in 2014, we launched the Hotspot Wormerveer Foundation to turn the tide through a serious citizens’ initiative. It was a nearly impossible task, but the need was incredibly great.

 Developing a comprehensive vision for housing, work, shopping, the social sector, and tourism has taken over two years. Thanks to diverse input from numerous stakeholders, government agencies, and social organizations, we have compiled a valuable assessment. In 2016, the comprehensive vision was finalized, and the real work could begin. To ensure that our vision does not end up in a desk drawer, a long and intensive lobbying effort has been underway since 2016. This has yielded results, as our vision has now been incorporated into the future plans for the area by the Municipality of Zaanstad (Maak Zaanstad), and many elements of our area vision are reflected in the recent environmental, tourism, and economic visions. Wormerveer (including Zaanbocht) has also been designated a focus area for tourism by the Municipality of Zaanstad. Starting in the fall of 2024, together with the Municipality of Wormerland, the Municipality of Zaanstad, and (tourism) entrepreneurs, we will take significant new steps in area development, with collaboration, destination, and product development on the implementation agenda. The guiding principle here is to incorporate tourism as an added value in high-quality area development.