Tourism and an evolving international boundary: Bordering, debordering and rebordering on Usedom Island, Poland-Germany

Marek Więckowski, Dallen J. Timothy

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

34 Scopus citations

Abstract

Tourism has clear connections to bordering, debordering and rebordering. Each part of this process has important implications for tourism and development in the heritage borderscapes of border tourism destinations. The study illustrates past and current changes to the border within the bordering-debordering-rebordering framework. In particular it highlights the role of tourism in this process as both an agent and recipient of border changes. To examine the main ideas presented so far empirically, the authors chose a location on Usedom Island on the Baltic coast, which is a unique coastal tourism destination on the border of Germany and Poland. The paper uses a mixed methods, case study approach utilizing formal and informal interviews with local authorities, the content of strategic development documents and archived photographs, and systematic landscape/locational surveys. The Polish-German border symbolizes the territorial evolution of Germany and Poland, and represents differing languages and cultures that are simultaneously united through the debordering effects of the EU and Schengen, and divided through the symbolic rebordering activities of border commemoration for tourism purposes. The border functions as a destination, thanks to the binational differences, maintained border markers, heritagized relict border landscapes, decaying border infrastructure, and newly erected additional signage and symbols that commemorate the international boundary. All of these elements are of critical importance in border destination management.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number100647
JournalJournal of Destination Marketing and Management
Volume22
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2021

Keywords

  • Border area management
  • Bordering
  • Borders
  • Debordering
  • Heritage
  • Rebordering
  • Tourism

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Business and International Management
  • Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management
  • Strategy and Management
  • Marketing

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