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ABSTRACT
Nowadays, with the recent events inside EU and accession of new member states, it increases the need for a deeper integration of the member states. This paper looks at the important role of cultural cross-border cooperation, in the context of winning the European Capital of Culture (ECoC) title by Timișoara and Novi Sad for 2021. The ECoC title offers a great opportunity for Timișoara and Novi Sad, two cities from neighbouring countries, Romania and Serbia, also close from geographical and historical point of view, to shape together a region of culture through cross-border cooperation. Moreover, the title is a catalyst for the development of urban tourism at a local level. This article makes a qualitative analysis of the opportunities and challenges for cross-border cooperation in the new context. Cultural cross-border cooperation changes borders from barriers to bridges of cooperation and creates stronger ties between communities.
Acknowledgement
The author would like to bring special thanks to Duncan Light and Remus Crețan for comments on earlier drafts as well as to the members of the scientific committee (mainly to Ronan Paddison) of the international conference Building Urban Tourism through Place Making and Urban Regeneration in Central and Eastern Europe Countries, Timișoara, 19-20 May 2017, Romania. Thanks are due also to Professor Vassilis Fouskas and the referees who provided feedback on this article.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Notes
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Additional information
Notes on contributors
Ilie Rădoi
Ilie Rădoi is Postdoctoral Researcher at the Department of Geography, West University of Timişoara, Romania. His research focuses on: tourism, cross-border cooperation, place-making, urban regeneration, and the European Capital of Culture program.