Get the chance for four days to admire the Amsterdam harbor and the way of working. Visitors enjoyed climbing on the boats and immersed themselves in the – for some still unknown – terrain of the Seaport. “You’ve always wondered what’s going on in these ports?”, a visitor from the boat says full of admiration.
Yesterday it was extra fun from the Amsterdam water during one of the Seaport days† “I enjoy sitting here on a boat, international allure. And then you still see that we are very big in the port business and that interests me,” says a visitor.
‘Engine of the region’
The tour is intended to bring Amsterdammers to the port, says Dirk Dijk of the Municipality of Amsterdam. According to him, it is therefore about connecting people to the port again: “Amsterdammers have lost the port a bit in recent years. That is a shame because it is a nice world to work in.”
For the Amsterdammer and the surrounding area, work in the port is the engine of the region, says Mark Emmelot of partner CVV. must have to work here and always work with power, but these days it’s all machine-driven and with innovation.”
young people
One tour after another followed during this day. From making steelwork, the parts, to the ships in the dock; young people were also involved in shipping. “Actually, we want to show young people what shipping entails and what we do here. That is important to us; involving young people in our work,” says Maxime Vedder, junior project manager Damen.
For example, Nan Prins, a student at Nova College, says that he was ‘called crazy when he told what he was going to do; shipping’. “It’s something you have to love. But I think a lot of young people don’t understand what it is and once you start doing it, quite a lot of people will actually like it.”
Pleasure at work
Many visitors notice the pleasure in working at the port. “The atmosphere is good here. Also among each other, make jokes, you see someone passing by on their bicycle, who waves or laughs. The working atmosphere seems to be really great here,” says a student.
Another student adds: “I’ve been on this training for four years now and I was actually the only girl in the class at first. But to share it with two more girls today makes it a bit easier. Because it’s a hard world for women, you know how you both feel.”
This year was the kick-off of the Port Days. “The intention is that we will of course do this every year. And that in 2025, when Sail is there again, we will have a spectacular moment in which we can again connect city and port very well and beautifully”, says Koen Overtoon, CEO Port or Amsterdam.