A Model for Cross-border Tourism Governance in the Greater Bay Area

With advances in transportation and information technology, territorial and administrative barriers are being overcome to carve out regions for multi-destination tourism. This study on collaboration and governance within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) highlights the complexities in developing cross-bordr tourism destinations under a multi-level administrative structure that comprises one country, two systems, and three jurisdictions. Given the enormous scale of cross-border flows and collaborations, the complexities of developing cross-border tourism destinations underscore the need for integrated tourism governance to address subregional differences in the GBA. Applying the institutional analysis and development framework, this study identifies the core elements and synergy mechanisms of cross-border tourism collaboration and further investigates evaluative criteria in the post-pandemic era for achieving collective and resilient development. Our findings provide key insights for a variety of stakeholders involved in the planning and marketing of cross-border tourism destinations.