STUDY ON CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP AND LEADERSHIP IN TOURISM

IN CONTEXT OF A SUSTAINABLE REGIONAL MANAGEMENT ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE STYRIAN VOLCANIC REGION IN AUSTRIA

The implementation of a sustainable regional management within the Styrian Volcanic Region in Austria developed a border region to one of the most successful regions within Austria. Regional management has brought new challenges for organizations and SMEs to develop and generate new business and tourism. The present thesis aims to fill in gaps, related to the regional management process by using unexploited methods that were implemented with sustainable regional management. An analysis of the Styrian Volcanic Region in Austria can be generated as a result of an innovative regional management. The results of the studies during the doctorial period show the ways of successful implementation of regional management and improving customer relationship and leadership in tourism, in context of sustainability. The proposed methods were included in an innovative sustainable regional management model that achieves the research objectives, by focusing on regional resources. Furthermore, the developed model helps to increase challenges for SMEs and chances of small regions on the example of the Styrian Volcanic Region in Austria.

Key words: regional management, leadership models in a digital age, sustainability, tourism, competences, innovation and sustainability.

Erscheint am 17. Dezember 2020