Concepts of sustainable tourism developments in rural areas

Tourism development is often seen as an economic driver for many rural regions. This dissertation will examine developments in Austria and the Danube area (from Southern Germany across Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, throughout the Balkans all the way to the Black Sea) on circumstances and challenges in regional development that concentrate on tourism. Current issues in tourism development serve as a starting point to examine how sustainable development is being implemented in rural areas. Investigating these aspects through planning methodological approaches will give insight into the weaknesses of developments which are hindering long-term sustainability goals. Special attention will be paid to policies, the use of guidelines and manuals for improved stakeholder involvement, stakeholders’ understanding of sustainability and the integration of sustainability criteria into participative planning processes. a clear list of indicators that are relevant for sustainable rural tourism and easy to use for local stakeholders is to be established.