Heritage as Economy: Socioeconomic Dimensions of Mughal Heritage Tourism in Agra, India

Heritage tourism in Agra, India, driven by Mughal architecture such as the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort, generates significant employment but also creates economic vulnerability due to informality and seasonality. The study, based on fieldwork including surveys, expert interviews, and participant observation, reveals that while tourism sustains livelihoods for guides, vendors, artisans, and transport workers, these jobs often lack security, fixed wages, or benefits. Tourist flows, concentrated in cooler months, lead to unstable incomes, and economic benefits are unevenly distributed, favoring large hotels and organized businesses over small-scale operators. The research highlights the need for sustainable tourism planning to address labor insecurity, support local artisans, and diversify the economy to mitigate dependency on heritage-based visitor flows.

Alishan. (2026). Heritage as Economy: Socioeconomic Dimensions of Mughal Heritage Tourism in Agra, India. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.19731423