The Interreg Europe Program as a Tool for Developing Cross-Border Tourism: The Case of Greece

Cross-border tourism is a specific type of tourism, especially when it concerns border areas and border zones. This type of tourism has many advantages encouraging local, regional and national organizations to strengthen cross-border cooperation at several levels. The Interreg Europe is one of the EU’s external cooperation programs and aims to promote cross-border cooperation between its member countries. In this context, the program finances many projects in different sectors, such as innovation, employment, education and tourism. This paper provides an overview of the importance and challenges posed by the European Interreg program in strengthening cross-border tourism in the context of the EU objective to enhance interregional cooperation. Initially, a brief historical overview of the institution is given and then focuses on the role of Interreg in the development of cross-border tourism. This is achieved by examining the position of the European Union as a producer and implementer of cross-border tourism policies, the importance of the border in the development of tourism, the fundamental elements of cross-border tourism cooperation, but also the challenges and criticisms faced by the Interreg program in view of the policies pursued and the experiences of the locally involved actors. Special reference is made to the Interreg programs in Greece related to cross-border tourism, and their contribution to the development of tourism in border areas.