Contemporary challenges for small border cities

Due to the growth of migration flows, border areas and cities are among the first to experience the effects of globalization and integration. Cross-border migration and tourism mobility are considered modern challenges affecting small border cities. At the same time, host community often takes opposite positions in relation to these challenges: stimulating tourism and restricting migration. The increased dynamics of cross-border migration brings changes, sometimes significant, to the development of the social and cultural environment of small border cities. Thus, the experience of Tornio city that struggled with the increased number of visitors from Africa and Asia demonstrates a growing society fragmentation and the emergence of cultural identity crisis. The Finnish cities bordering Russia make profit from cross-border mobility, stimulating the development of shopping tourism. The problem of cross-border migration is illustrated by small border cities in Finland. The empirical data is based on the sociological survey conducted in August - September 2016 in Tornio as well as the results of the authors’ own observations.