Urban tourism, place promotion and economic restructuring: the case of post-socialist Leipzig

Tourism has assumed great significance in the space-economy and space-society of the new German Länder since Unification. Existing discourses have documented the role of tourism in job and wealth creation, the regeneration of urban fabric, and the progressive elimination of inequalities between west and east. However, more subtle readings of tourism in the process of transformation are required. One such focus is the relationship between tourism, place promotion and economic restructuring which is teased apart here for the city of Leipzig. Referred to as 'boomtown east', its models of economic development and urban governance have been widely consulted and copied in the new Länder. Consistent with existing studies, the tourism sector produces and reinforces the messages of local place promotion campaigns through its deployment of heritage narratives, 'flagship' projects and infrastructure delivery to support business. In turn, conformity with the urban corporate identity has induced unexpected outcomes for the tourism sector which may challenge its long-term viability. The results have wider resonances. Many of the decisions regarding urban tourism development reflect the political and economic imperatives of the 1990s. Just as Leipzig may need to review these in light of new operating contexts in the twenty-first century, other post-socialist destinations will face similar challenges.