Abstract (eng)
Compared to other more established tourist destinations, the Mühlviertel has a rather short history of significant tourist activity, and is characterized by other mechanisms and structures. It is a region in the Austrian periphery, in which nature, agriculture and traditional customs play an important role, especially in the field of tourism. The Mühlviertel is furthermore characterized by its rejection of mass tourism. Many of its touristic practices are connected to models of sustainable tourism and reflect a number of social science theories. This text aims to describe and understand the tourism sector of the Mühlviertel, focusing on the role of nature and sustainability, as well as on the perspective of the stakeholders and actors of the tourism industry. The basis for the analysis of the gathered empirical data is an extensive overview and critique of theoretical approaches to tourism, as well as of the role nature and sustainability play within it.