Das Phänomen der Flagship-Museen - Neuer Trend im internationalen Städtetourismus?

During the past few years various flagship-museums were rebuilt or newly established by leading international architects. The aim of flagship-museums is to attract large numbers of visitors and to boost urban tourism and the cultural economy. Moreover, they can sustain city marketing strategies in a broader sense and enhance quality of life for the inhabitants of the city and its surrounding areas. In the context of deindustrialisation, which can be observed in most Western cities during the late 20th and early 21st century, the creation of flagship-museums is often seen as opportunity to foster urban renewal and revitalization through public-private partnership. The Newcastle-Gates-head development area can be taken as an example to study and evaluate such processes of land use conversion and economic transformation. Finally, investments in flagship-museums and other major cultural projects are important assets for a city to position itself in the ongoing game of interurban competition.