Author(s)

U. Pröbstl

Abstract

Overall, Central Europe is densely populated but a closer look at the alpine area shows a population decrease in many peripheral rural areas, with many young people leaving their homes in search of better job opportunities. Frequently rural tourism is suggested as a remedy that should enhance the local economy, create new jobs, strengthen the regional identity and finance the basic and advanced infrastructure. Regions, communities, tourism organizations and managers use various different strategies to strengthen their tourism offers or to develop new ones. Four of the most relevant models are identified and presented. Thereafter, the advantages and disadvantages of these conceptual models are discussed against the main political goal: a sustainable and stable regional development. Keywords: rural tourism, conceptual frameworks, peripheral areas, sustainable development. 1 Introduction Overall, Central Europe is densely populated. Core areas enjoy permanent growth around cities, but many rural, especially mountainous, areas are in decline. As a consequence, these rural areas face many negative effects as the younger generation leaves for better job opportunities. The disparities between the centre and the periphery increase further as rural areas frequently experience declining investments in public infrastructure, insufficient public transportation, a lack of qualified education and only basic social services. In some regions, the negative effects on the quality of life in rural areas can already be seen [1]. While

Keywords

rural tourism, conceptual frameworks, peripheral areas, sustainabledevelopment