The formalities commonly associated with state borders are sometimes considered disturbing and often require more time to reach the tourist destination. But in many cases the borders act as tourist attractions. The research aimed to estimate the results of cross-border cooperation in the field of tourism in order to highlight the barriers that complicate the development of tourism and recreational areas at the border. The research is based on the literature about the management of cross-border tourism and the results obtained by the Republic of Moldova in the field of tourism in the cross-border area of the Prut river following the cooperation with Romania and Ukraine. In the context of relative flexibility of governance structures, effective cooperation is possible in order to increase the flow of tourists and optimize the tourist potential of the region.