Developing cross-border cultural tourism: top-down vs bottom-up governance approaches

Cultural tourism is increasingly used to develop cross-border tourism products. Previous studies have highlighted de-bordering processes in the EU, but now symbolic re-bordering processes designed to turn former borders into tourism attractions are emerging. Re-bordering has also been stimulated by nationalistic discourses on deterring migration. This paper considers how changing discourses on borders affect collaborative tourism projects on the international borders of the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. We contrast the bottom-up development of local authority-led projects with the top-down UNESCO Roman Limes project, recreating the second Century border of the Roman Empire. Through stakeholder interviews and policy analysis we identify symbolic re-bordering processes linked to shared cultural narratives based on smuggling and local legends. Locally led projects include cultural routes highlighting the former frontier, including the First World War ‘death wire’ barrier. In contrast the top-down governance approach of the Limes limits cross-border collaboration and highlights tensions related to migration and populist discourses at national level. We examine the implications of these emerging tensions for cross-border tourism development and compare the effects of different governance arrangements.