Border trade
Border tourism in general is traveling a greater number of people across national borders. Most often the term is used in a different context, in the sense that it is there precisely because the border of a tourist. It is then spoken of shopping tourism. Other subtypes of shopping tourism are the fuel tourism as well as the cross-border shopping.
To cross-border shopping or even border trade leads price differentials between neighboring countries. One example is the city of Flensburg. Flensburg is located directly on the German - Danish border, has a bridge to Scandinavia. The shopping tourism potential of the city is completely due to the increased industrial structure and relatively low in Germany Taxation of spirits. In the border regions, where cross-border shopping is operated, supply and demand are not oriented according to the wishes of the local population, but directed to the shopping tourists. So in border areas all shopping malls are built, who specializes in customers from neighboring countries. Here, the customers are advised in their own language and offered products from their home to German conditions. So is spoken Danish in border shopping centers in Flensburg and surrounding area, the German cross-border traders call their sales outlets " Scandinavian Park " or " Dansk Vinlager " to make it clear that you have focused on the Danish customers.
Background
It is based on the purchase price difference of tourism goods and services, in particular cigarettes, gasoline, alcohol and non-prescription medicines, between two neighboring countries. By this fact, shopping in cheaper abroad, especially for people who live near the border, lucrative. Due to the still existing distinctly different buying powers between Western Europe and Eastern European countries, this type of tourism is particularly at these boundaries, such as Germany and Poland or the Czech Republic or Austria and Slovenia pronounced. However, these differences diminished by the rapidly increasing purchasing power in these countries in recent years. Even among Western European countries may lead to significant price differences on goods due to different tax rates. For example, a cup of coffee, which is considerably cheaper than in Germany in the Netherlands. Also, a term coined by discounters retail market of a country lead to significant price differences. For example, between Germany, the retail market is very competitive by increasing the number discounters and Switzerland on the market have not yet gained a foothold in the large extent these companies. Partly it comes to purchasing relationships in both directions. For example, between the Czech Republic and Germany. As mentioned above, it comes to purchases German in the Czech Republic. However, this border tourism also exists in the reverse direction, as on the electronics market, where the price level is much higher than in Germany in the Czech Republic. Also in the German - Polish border town of Görlitz / Zgorzelec can be observed, for example, that the formerly one-sided border tourism to Poland now evolving into a reciprocal: while German customers continue to cheap fuels, cigarettes and some Food shopping in Poland, appreciate numerous Polish tourists Shopping in Görlitz addition to special offers, the wider choice of quality fabrics and can be cost something like this also.
Follow
The border areas are historical reasons, usually to the structurally weaker areas. Although cheaper for the residents of these areas by shopping in the neighboring country partly the goods of daily life, however, flows from these areas through the border tourism is a significant part of the purchasing power in the neighboring country from which especially in with loss of revenue for the local economy and, case of the tank and cigarette tourism, is also associated with considerable tax losses. On the other hand, the border tourism in the target countries to the fact that there an infrastructure is created near the border, which is purely created to satisfy the needs of border tourists, however, due to its pure focus on these needs does not provide added value for the local population.
Given these obvious problems is often overlooked or undervalued in the public discourse that the marginal tourism unfolds also beneficial effects: It opens economic opportunities, especially in those regions that are otherwise difficult to disadvantaged and disconnected. He creates a lot of cross-border contacts, motivated by the acquisition of language skills and thus contributes considerably to the European integration.