Industrial Heritage Tourism as a Driver of Sustainable Development? A Case Study of Steirische Eisenstrasse (Austria)

Abstract

The valorization of cultural heritage for regional development (“Conservation 3.0”) has been a widely used concept in the last decade. Heritage institutions and the European Union have advocated and fostered the view of cultural heritage as a place-based development potential. Therefore, this article investigates the impacts of such approaches in the context of sustainable development. It does so with a specific focus on more peripheral, (old) industrial regions in Central Europe, where industrial heritage and industrial tourism play an important role. Based on this background, this article highlights the difficulties of establishing a tourism product based on industry-related features. The product mainly serves a niche market, thereby not helping to overcome structural disadvantages of peripheral regions. The economic impacts of industrial heritage tourism on the transition towards a more sustainable regional development are rather low. Nevertheless, the case study highlights the social benefits that industry-related tourism yields in regions in transformation, forming an important pre-condition for any future development. However, ecological aspects are not widely addressed in heritage tourism in this region. Policy-wise, stakeholders in peripheral regions should be more aware of the different limits and opportunities cultural heritage utilizations can bring in terms of achieving a more sustainable regional development.

Post-Industrial Tourism as a Driver of Sustainable Development

“…Furthermore, the updated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to reorient the tourism industry to sustainable tourism [1][2][3]. Thus, considering the 8.9 SDG goal, the countries should enforce their policies to enhance sustainable tourism.…”

“…Thus, considering the 8.9 SDG goal, the countries should enforce their policies to enhance sustainable tourism. The 11.4 SDG goal focuses on developing sustainable cities and enforcing actions to protect and safeguard the world's cultural and natural heritage [1][2][3]. Furthermore, the 12b.1 SDG goal emphasises implementing the controlling instruments of sustainable tourism development, which allows creating jobs and promoting local culture and craft products [1][2][3], noting that for declining industrial areas, post-industrial tourism development is one way to strengthen the region's sustainable development.…”

“…The 11.4 SDG goal focuses on developing sustainable cities and enforcing actions to protect and safeguard the world's cultural and natural heritage [1][2][3]. Furthermore, the 12b.1 SDG goal emphasises implementing the controlling instruments of sustainable tourism development, which allows creating jobs and promoting local culture and craft products [1][2][3], noting that for declining industrial areas, post-industrial tourism development is one way to strengthen the region's sustainable development. These trends and challenges in the world are actualized to estimate society's perception related to post-industrial tourism on the way to achieving the region's sustainable development.…”

“…In this case, it is necessary to identify the digital instruments for promoting post-industrial tourism as a core determinant of the region's sustainable development. In this paper, we aim to analyse: (1) the impact of economic and environmental dimensions, and of digital marketing on supporting post-industrial tourism development and (2) the difference between attitudes towards post-industrial tourism with respect to gender, age and education dimensions and digital channels on post-industrial tourism development.…”

A composite tourism index for the competitiveness of marginal areas: a pilot application in a Southern Italy province

“…In the past 20 years, an extensive literature has been devoted to study and analyze the role of tourism, culture and creativity in boosting economic development (Caves, 2000; Howkins, 2001; Florida, 2002; Hesmondhalgh, 2007), which attracted the interest of policymakers in different countries worldwide. One of the main issues emerging in the scientific debate is the key role of tourism, cultural and creative industries to promote urban regeneration and development in marginal extra-urban areas (Harfst et al , 2021; Chapain and Comunian, 2010), whereas the strategies to support the well-being and economic revival of marginal and fragile areas have been less common (Scott et al , 2018).…”