The "Star Cities" project highlights attractive offers outside of tourist hotspots from the Rome, Paris, Ljubljana, Kaunas and Hamburg regions. Although development along riverbanks holds real opportunity for European cities to create innovative and sustainable tourism, such areas are rarely seen as touristic spots and are inadequately addressed by tourism policies.
The guide cites the "Days of Industrial Culture on the Waterfront" as a successful example of a project that links up an entire region. Other examples are the Elbe Cycle Touring Bus, which takes people on excursions to destinations such the Herzapfelhof in Jork, and the "Stade Beach" project, has revived an underused part of the harbour through a SUP club. The Elbe Cycle Route, which runs along the river and through seven German states and the Hamburg Metropolitan Region's "Day Tourism Campaign" are cited as examples of how cross-regional co-operation can add value across borders.