Tourism Development and Border Asymmetries: An Exploratory Analysis of Market-Driven Cross-Border Shopping Tourism. Issue 6 (2nd November 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Leick, Birgit; Schewe, Theo; Kivedal, Bjørnar Karlsen
• Is Part Of: Tourism planning & development. Volume 18:Issue 6(2021)
• Page Start: 673
• Page End: 698
• Publication Date: 2021-11-02
• Subjects: Shopping tourism -- cross-border tourism -- border asymmetries -- tourism development; Tourism -- Periodicals; Hospitality industry -- Management -- Periodicals; Strategic planning -- Periodicals; 338.4791
• DOI: 10.1080/21568316.2020.1837230
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2156-8316

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This paper explores whether shopping tourism in the context of cross-border regions may trigger more viable, and long-term, tourism despite persistent border asymmetries ( e.g. price and tax differences) which are typically key to luring tourists to short-term shopping visits. While tourism development is often an explicit goal of cross-border policy initiatives, this paper is devoted to the market-driven processes that might drive tourism beyond short-term shopping in borderlands. Based upon a case study from the Norwegian-Swedish border region of Østfold-Fyrbodal, it finds that asymmetric cross-border shopping tourism supports the development of a diversified tourism sector with a variety of tourist attractions and services organised around shopping, longer overnight stays and second-home tourism. Despite persistent border asymmetries, market processes may balance off the short-term shopping visits towards supporting long-term tourism, which provides economic value to the cross-border region.