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

Jörn Harfst, Jasmin Sandriester and Wolfgang Fischer
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Jörn Harfst: Department of Geography and Regional Science, University of Graz, Heinrichstrasse 36, 8010 Graz, Austria
Jasmin Sandriester: Department of Geography and Regional Science, University of Graz, Heinrichstrasse 36, 8010 Graz, Austria
Wolfgang Fischer: Department of Geography and Regional Science, University of Graz, Heinrichstrasse 36, 8010 Graz, Austria

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 7, 1-16

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.

Keywords: regional development; sustainability; (old) industrial regions; small (peripheral) towns; cultural heritage; tangible and intangible heritage; industrial heritage tourism; industrial tourism; EU place-based development strategies; network-based management strategies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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