ABSTRACT
Tourism plays a vital role in the development of many cities and regions, but it has recently undergone technological and social changes that have a transformative potential for the structural understanding of a destination. These changes have defined a new tourism, which has a new set of objectives to pursue and, in turn, requires the participation of a broad stakeholder base in local spaces. The challenges associated with achieving efficient and effective participation are addressed by the establishment of the Eichstätt Tourism Lab (Bavaria, Germany). Using a large variety of methods in the style of a living lab, a balance between efficient strategy development in a small group and the comprehensive integration of citizenship is achieved in a scientifically guided moderation process. The claims and results of the Eichstätt Tourism Lab are the starting point for a further strategy process for tourism and related development issues, which requires that citizens take up responsibilities beyond the institutions of the public sector. In this setting, the present chapter aims to derive the requirements for future destination development and discuss the Tourism Lab as an alternative tool for broad stakeholder participation.
