Brest Fortress as a flagship tourist product in the context of geopolitical change and heritage significance

The Brest Fortress represents one of the most attractive international tourist products on the Polish-Belarusian border. However, the current geopolitical situation has led to partial closures of that border, and to changes in the path of development taken by tourism. Nevertheless, this study’s analysis of statistical and online sources related to tourist traffic and museum attendance, combined with in-depth interviews, shows that the Memorial Complex known as the “Brest Hero Fortress” has been one of the two most-visited museums in Belarus in recent years, attracting about half a million tourists annually. Belarusians, followed by Russians, remain the dominant visitor groups here, given that this destination is of a symbolic and ideological significance that ties in with (post-)Soviet identity. The impact of factors at different levels and historical stages influencing tourist-traffic dynamics gains evaluation here by reference to a modified Multi-Level Governance concept, plus the Tourism Area Life Cycle model. The findings suggest that, compared with local and regional factors, it is those of national or international reach that exert a greater influence on the tourism product that the Brest Fortress represents. That said, recent years have brought increased interest in the Polish side’s Terespol Bridgehead Museum and Cultural Centers, representing local heritage, and mainly proving attractive to domestic tourists, German-speaking visitors, and enthusiasts of military tourism. The work detailed here also compares visitor numbers and museums within the administrative units of the so-called Bug Euroregion.