The present work sought to answer the research question: How can integrated tourism development contribute to strengthening the perceived quality of life of residents of a rural destination? To this end, it was divided into two sub-questions: Sub-question 1 examined the relationships between tourism development in a region and its impact on the perceived quality of life of the population. Sub-question 2 examined how a region's model might look, in which concepts of integrated tourism development are applied to increase the quality of life of the population (see p. 3).
To answer the main research question, a 6-step research design was chosen, which, based on a literature review, used qualitative and quantitative survey methods to develop hypotheses on the one hand and to test them on the other hand (see p. 4). To test the hypotheses, models for hypothesis testing were developed based on the literature review and expert interviews, which were tested using regression analysis methods (see p. 90).
The literature review was guided by the research questions and included the topics of (1) integrated management, (2) regional development, (3) sustainable tourism development, and (4) quality of life. It emerged that integrated management systems in tourism always deal with sustainability issues and vice versa. Also, in rural development, sustainable use, development, and preservation of material and immaterial resources are the topics most commonly discussed.
Diverse manifestations of rural tourism only function in harmony with nature and the inhabitants of rural regions. Here, a distinction is made primarily between tourism in rural areas and rural tourism as such.
Based on the research results, different ways of thinking of regional development and tourism development were shown. While regional developers see tourism as a larger or smaller part of an overall regional development strategy, tourism managers naturally put tourism concerns first in their interests. It is evident that this will result in different views concerning the setting of priorities. The experts interviewed in this work agree that only well-coordinated processes will succeed in mastering the challenges in the sustainable development of a living space. All stakeholders and participating organizations, and the population must be involved in a participatory manner in developing rural areas. The instruments of integrated management and sustainable development can serve as a guide for implementation.
With the SDGs and the concrete actions that can be derived from them, a useful set of possibilities is available for tourism regions to meet the multiple demands of guests and their local populations in the future. It is undisputed that sustainability-oriented topics are increasingly being added to the list of demands of guests and employees alike. It is particularly important to note here that sustainability means more than environmental policy but must encompass socio-cultural and economic dimensions. The explosive nature of the issue is reflected in a manifest shortage of employees, particularly in the gastronomy and hotel industry.
Thus, a balanced approach to the resources of employees is also needed.
The research results show that an above-average number of people are employed in tourism, especially in highly frequented destinations. Since at least parts of the local population benefit directly or indirectly from tourism, this closes the circle to the topic of the influence of tourism on the perceived quality of life. This is because people who earn part or all of their income from tourism perceive the effects of tourism more positively than people who do not earn any income from tourism. Following the literature, the present study was also able to prove this fact.
The manifold relationships between tourism development and the quality of life in a rural region are based on objective and subjective criteria for researching the quality of life. Concerning objectifiable parameters, the present study was unable to establish any correlation between tourism indicators and the quality of life of the Austrian population at the level of service regions. However, it has been proven that the greater the satisfaction with the economic, socio-cultural, and ecological effects of tourism, the higher the subjectively perceived quality of life.
This finding is already known to experts in the field. Thus, the results of the present work contribute to the consolidation of the state of knowledge.
In order to illustrate the research results and to transfer them into a discourse relevant to practice and science, based on the results of the primary and secondary survey, a model of a rural region was developed which set itself the goal of developing a destination to increase the quality of life of the population by using instruments of integrated management.
The framework Quality of life-promoting model of integrated rural tourism (see p. 133) can be seen as a system for developing a living space for the population, employees, businesses, and guests alike. In it, sustainability and value creation principles are combined with integrated management of a competitive destination to enhance the quality of life. On the one hand, the model is a basis for discussion for future research work, and, on the other hand, it can serve as a basis for practical implementation in a test region.
This final chapter of the dissertation has presented the new scientific findings resulting from the research, their practical implications, and the open research questions arising from the results (see p. 143). Finally, it is noted that the greatest research and development potential is seen in the discourse and derivation of indicators to measure successful tourism, along the economic, socio-cultural, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development, to ensure the quality of life in rural areas in the long term.