At the 18th FH Research Forum 2025, Endowed Chair Cornelia Dlabaja and Mariya Katelieva from the Tourism & Hospitality Management Study Programs addressed current challenges in sustainable tourism development. Presentations from their organized session are now included in the anthology of selected conference papers, including an article by colleagues Daniela Wagner and Andreas Minichberger on the subjective well-being of museum visitors.
As part of the 18th Research Forum of Austrian Universities of Applied Sciences at University of Applied Sciences Campus Vienna, current research findings on future social and economic issues were presented and discussed. Selected contributions have now been published in the anthology “Doing Research – Shaping the Future”.
Current Challenges in Sustainable Tourism Development
From the session “Current Challenges in Sustainable Tourism Development – Perspectives from Research and Practice”, organized by Cornelia Dlabaja (Endowed Chair for Sustainable Urban and Tourism Development) and Mariya Katelieva, three anthology-articles shed light on different aspects of sustainable destination development. They demonstrate how research can provide practical solutions to current challenges.
Viennese Museums, Styrian Climate and Tyrolean Sustainability
Daniela Wagner and Andreas Minichberger from the Tourism & Hospitality Management Study Programs, together with FHWien graduate Camila Sanches, examined the subjective well-being of museum visitors using the “Free Friday Night” event series at the Austrian Gallery Belvedere as a case study. The study highlights the role that cultural experiences can play in an individual’s perception of well-being, as museums are viewed not only as places of learning but also as places to enhance well-being.
Other contributions in the book examine the effects of climate change on rural tourism in the Thermen- & Vulkanland Steiermark region, as well as the measurement of sustainability at the destination level using the example of the “Tyrolean Sustainable Tourism Observatory (TYSTO)”.
Practical, interdisciplinary research addressing key issues for the future
The Research Forum 2025 brought together researchers from universities of applied sciences and other research institutions under the motto “Doing Research – Shaping the Future”. This newly published anthology presents a selection of practice-oriented research on current societal challenges.
The contributions reflect the thematic breadth and scientific excellence of university of applied sciences research—ranging from technological innovation and digitalization to societal transformation. The volume illustrates how universities of applied sciences contribute to solving key future challenges through practical, interdisciplinary research and position themselves as relevant actors in national and international scientific discourse.