HERITAGE AND TOURISM: A STUDY WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE CHALLENGES FACED BY THE CITY OF LUCKNOW

Abstract

Lucknow, the historic capital of the erstwhile kingdom of Awadh, is dotted with one of the finest concentrations of Indo Islamic and colonial era architecture in North India, ranging from the grand Imambadas and gateways to gardens, palaces, and civic buildings. This study examines the relationship between heritage conservation and tourism development in Lucknow, arguing that the two are best understood not as separate activities but as mutually dependent processes. Heritage of any place gives a distinct identity to the city's tourism sector while tourism, when well managed, provides some of the economic relief and revenue needed to sustain conservation. This study also reviews some of Lucknow's principal heritage assets, the institutional and policy framework for their protection and conservation, and the persistent challenges of encroachment, poor upkeep, low visitor infrastructure, and uneven private investment that limits the sector's potential based on published tourism statistics, government records, and secondary literature about the monuments of Awadh.  It concludes with recommendations for a more integrated heritage tourism strategy for the city.