Heritage Tourism, Cultural Capital, and Local Economic Development: Comparative Case Studies from Rajasthan (India) and the Indus Valley Region (Pakistan)

Author(s)	Ms. Poonam Sharma
Country	India
Abstract	The concept of heritage tourism is to use cultural assets to enrich the local economies. The impact of the outcome is related to Institutions and infrastructure and Policies. This paper compares the monumental forts, palaces and the vibrant living heritage of Rajasthan, India with the Indus valley archaeological sites of Pakistan (e.g., Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa). Using a mixed method approach, involving secondary data, panel econometric methods and a bibliometric keyword co-occurrence analysis with VOSviewer. The study measures economic impacts, multipliers and evaluates sustainability aspects. The results shows higher realized benefits in the State of Rajasthan. In Rajasthan it accounts for about 12% of the Gross State Domestic Product. However, lack of infrastructure and accessibility, significant potential in the Indus Valley remains underutilised. Results clarifies the moderating effect of cultural capital, and provide policy suggestions for all-round and sustainable growth based on community-oriented approaches and targeted investments, among which the use of Silk Road tourism initiatives.
Keywords	Heritage Tourism, Cultural Capital, Rajasthan, Indus Valley, Silk Road, Sustainable Development, South Asia.
Field	Sociology > Economics
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 5, September-October 2026
Published On	2026-09-22
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i05.88217

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