This thesis is a case study of micro-scale lifestyle entrepreneurs. It is interesting to investigate how the demand from tourist for real-life, authentic, nature experiences often are found at small lifestyle entrepreneurs, but at the same time discover a gab of values between lifestyle entrepreneurs and destination management.
For lifestyle entrepreneurs economic value is usually not the primary motivation neither what defines their success – for destination management economic reasons are the primary underlying driver of organisation activities.
This research examines how micro-scale entrepreneurial narratives unfold in value-sets that bases motivation of running tourism businesses in lifestyle and social interactions. This thesis focuses on a qualitative case study of micro-scale lifestyle entrepreneurs in the rural destination of Northern Funen. Narratives and sentiments are firstly extracted though in-depth unrecorded narrative interviews, collected themes are elaborated on in a semi-structured second round of interviews.
It is the understanding of the micro-scale lifestyle tourism entrepreneur that should be the background for corporation with destination management. It is questioned how an understanding between these important tourism stakeholders can be improved and utilized.
The notion of the super local tourism entrepreneur is researched and commented upon in a literature review. Furthermore, the notion of the super local is a caricature of the lifestyle tourism entrepreneur of Northern Funen who is deeply involved in social- and cultural preservation, locally. Strategically investing in a dual understanding between destination management and lifestyle-entrepreneurs is possible though informal mutual willingness and a local involved destination management organisation, who takes stewardship in social and cultural preservation in peripheral voluntary communities.