Elisabeth Gruber

Abstract

The regional level has gained importance as a control level in Austria in recent years. Socialchallenges such as climate protection, mobility, sustainable economic development, demographic change,integration, digitalization and much more can no longer be mastered by single municipalities due to theirenormous complexity and their spatial implication beyond the local level. Throughout the Austrian territory,numerous spaces exist that are perceived as regions, which are (very differently) organized and functionas system of regional governance. Above all, it is communication-associated attributes (inclusion,activation, networking, interdependencies and cooperative arrangements) that make these regions relevantinteraction spaces. Mostly, regions have emerged that are active in the fields of regional policyand development. Anyway, additional spatial configurations exist that have developed a governance level,such as tourism regions. As these spaces often – due to the different sectors they belong to – have notonly different demarcations, actors and aims, they often run parallel to each other. Still, contemporarychallenges of spatial development have made it possible to consider a further integration of differentsectoral fields, in order to strengthen the finding of common solutions. On the example of a recent researchand development project, the paper at hand will reflect in how far sectoral integration can supportproblem solving on the regional level and in how far the national level can support this integrationon the regional level. The article not only provides insight into contemporary developments in regionalpolicy in Austria, but further reflects of how tourism and regional policy can act as collaborative governancesystems. Results reveal that it needs a programmatic incentive to set-up collaboration, although interwovenchallenges do exist.

Keywords: regional governance, Austria, tourism, regional development, spatial development, cooperation

Elisabeth Gruber [elisabeth.eg.gruber@uibk.ac.at], University of Innsbruck Innrain 52, 6020 Innsbruck: Austria
Dominik Ebenstreit [dominik.ebenstreit@univie.ac.at], University of Vienna Department of Geography and Regional Research Universitätsstraße 7/5, 1010 Vienna: Austria
Michael Fischer [fischer@oear.at], Austrian Agency for Regional Consultancy, ÖAR Lindengasse 56/18-19, 1070 Vienna: Austria
Florian Grösswang [florian.groesswang@ggc-group.cc], Gruber-Grösswang Consulting Lambachstraße 5, 8833 Teufenbach-Katsch: Austria
Martin Heintel [martin.heintel@univie.ac.at], University of Vienna Department of Geography and Regional Research Universitätsstraße 7/5, 1010 Vienna: Austria
Harald Payer [payer@oear.at], Austrian Agency for Regional Consultancy, ÖAR Lindengasse 56/18-19, 1070 Vienna: Austria

Citation

APA: Gruber, E., Ebenstreit, D., Fischer, M., Grösswang, F., Heintel, M., & Payer, H. (2024). Collaborative governance across sectors: regional development and tourism as complementary policy fields?. Europa XXI, 47, 4. https://doi.org/
MLA: Gruber, Elisabeth, et al. "Collaborative governance across sectors: regional development and tourism as complementary policy fields?". Europa XXI, vol. 47, 2024, pp. 4. https://doi.org/
Chicago: Gruber, Elisabeth, Ebenstreit, Dominik, Fischer, Michael, Grösswang, Florian, Heintel, Martin, and Payer, Harald. "Collaborative governance across sectors: regional development and tourism as complementary policy fields?". Europa XXI 47 (2024): 4. https://doi.org/
Harvard: Gruber, E., Ebenstreit, D., Fischer, M., Grösswang, F., Heintel, M., & Payer, H. 2024. "Collaborative governance across sectors: regional development and tourism as complementary policy fields?". Europa XXI, vol. 47, pp. 4. https://doi.org/