In East Groningen of the Netherlands was a large barren plain of farmland. In the late 1990s, the idea arose to exchange the farmland for a lake with villas and recreational facilities.

An attempt was made to buy the land of over 50 farmers, but not all farmers cooperated. Many saw nothing in the project and did not want to give up their land. In the end, however, the Oldambt Lake was constructed and the villas built. As potential buyers, wealthy Randstadians were mainly considered. As soon as the sale started there was a huge demand for the homes, but since the economic crisis in 2008 there was suddenly no interest in the homes in Blauwestad and the sales targets were not met. Blauwestad looked less and less well cared for due to a lack of financial resources and received negative publicity due to an article in De Telegraaf about muskrats in Blauwestad. For years the project fared terribly badly, but when the economy picked up, the demand for houses at the Oldambtmeer increased as well. The project plan was also adjusted slightly and there was more focus on less wealthy people from the surrounding area as potential buyers, instead of only looking at wealthy people from the Randstad. The high demand for homes on the housing market also helped sell plots in Blauwestad and, in addition, living in the countryside during the corona pandemic became a lot more popular in one fell swoop.

Meanwhile, tourism in Blauwestad has increased enormously and sales figures are soaring. And it is not only Blauwestad that benefits from its success: nearby villages also benefit from tourism. For example, bed and breakfasts and restaurants are being opened in other villages.