Strategies of place marketing in a cross-border region: Tamaulipas-Texas

In a context of global spatial competence and of local and regional scales resurgence, places have adopted place marketing as strategy of regional development. For those strategies are mobilized territorial agents and resources in order to attract investments, tourism and residents. Border regions promote the border localization and cross-border interrelations, and construct cross-border place brands. It is analyzed the case of Tamaulipas, Mexico-Texas, USA border. Since the end of XIX century three main strategies have been developed: to attract residents and agriculture investors; tourists; and industrial investors. Although in some occasions strategies are the result of cross-border collaboration, most strategies have been developed by South Texas territorial agents. Furthermore, strategies are based on spatial asymmetries between both sides of the border. Both dynamics reinforce border differentiation instead of cross-border unity. The research follows a qualitative methodology: it has been conducted a content analysis based on the documentation of place marketing campaigns.