Within the Urban Leisure & Tourism Lab Rotterdam, five groups of students started in August 2021 with the following question: ”How can the development of a four-season seaside resort fit in with the identity and liveability of Hoek van Holland?”
For six months, the students worked together with stakeholders on the question and each group came up with an attractive concept. The concepts are explained below.
History Hunting
In the past six months, Denise, Marscha, Jill and Tessa came up with a final concept: History Hunting.
History Hunting is an app which shows various tags on a map of Hook of Holland. You can search for these tags and find a QR code which you can scan. You will then see on your phone the information about what happened at that place in Hoek van Holland. The stories vary in theme; from before the first world war to the second world war and everything in between and after. In this way, beautiful and stories are told in a modern, interactive and playful way, so that they will never be forgotten.
Out of all the nice concepts, they won a starting budget and they can now develop this idea further with the help of entrepreneurs and stakeholders from Hoek van Holland and Hogeschool Inholland.
The Heart Hunter
Tamara, Rosaline, Kaily and Nissrine came up with an ideal concept together, namely: The Heart Hunter.
It is a stamp card that serves as a means to motivate tourists to visit Hoek van Holland on several occasions and to visit attractions that may initially be less interesting to them. There are a total of nine boxes on this stamp card, for each box a stamp can be earned. The themes are: Museums, Spa and Nature & Environment. Each activity has a unique stamp that the tourist receives when they visit a certain attraction. One stamp should be placed for each attraction visited. On the back of the stamp card, the lots are clearly displayed and a map shows where the attraction can be found. The tourist should visit various attractions in Hook of Holland in order to fill up the stamp card.
When the stamp card is full, the tourist can exchange it at the VVV and receives a nice prize in return. The requirement is that the savings card must be full within a year to receive the prize, so that the tourist is motivated to visit Hoek van Holland several times a year. This prize is mutually agreed upon by the participating parties in Hoek van Holland and can change periodically. Examples could be: a free main course in one of the participating restaurants in Hoek van Holland, or 50% discount on an overnight stay in a hotel in Hoek van Holland, etc. The tourist can obtain the stamp card free of charge from the Tourist Information Office of Hoek van Holland.
Dark Tourism Tour
Lisa, Mandy, Michiel, Isabel and Lorenzo have together developed a historical tour through Hook of Holland that focuses on both light and dark stories from the history of Hook of Holland. There are different routes that can be followed on foot or by bike. One is longer or more exciting than the other. The aim is that people use the app or website to walk a tour through Hook of Holland. Users of the app or website can also do the tour by bike.
Walk in Nature
Faith and Luna have developed a package for entrepreneurs in Hoek van Holland. They looked at what the target group wants and what Hoek van Holland has to offer. The package includes welcome drinks, cakes, routes along the highlights and a personalised lunch. By bringing this package to the attention of entrepreneurs and larger platforms, they hope that people will come and ‘get a breath of fresh air’ during all seasons.
Market on the Brinkplein
Celeste, Christie, Chevellé, Ines and Jade have developed a Market of the Heart for and by the residents. In cooperation with SAAM, this monthly market can be found on the Brinkplein in Hoek van Holland. This is the central point where everyone comes together. This monthly event features entertainment for young and old. The large bouncy castle is ideal for the younger generation, while others can enjoy the local band and the food trucks. There is also a lot to buy at the market, including local products such as jam, cheese and other fresh items. Art and small businesses can also be found at the market. Finally, there is also a boot sale. This can be found in the car park of the Albert Heijn. Browse between the cars looking for a nice second-hand item. Clothing as well as antiques: everything can be found there.
The Last Climb
During Studio Day 4, all groups had the opportunity to present their concept to all stakeholders for the last time. This also included the groups that have recently been working on the issue of the ‘Heart of South’. Due to the corona measures, this went slightly differently than the first couple of Studio Days. This last Studio Day was online. However, each group has been extremely creative and has made beautiful and interactive final presentations.
20 January 2022
