5 ways restoration of cultural heritage drives economic growth

Development agencies spend millions of dollars every year restoring buildings, parks, gardens, historic monuments and urban fabrics. In countries where people are battling poverty, hunger and other more pressing needs, such projects can appear detached, or even indulgent. But the reality is more complex – the benefits of restoring ancient sites ripple far beyond the work itself. It is a powerful component of development and improves quality of life.

Here’s how cultural regeneration has driven economic development in Afghanistan, Egypt, India, Pakistan, Syria and Tajikistan.

Each project creates jobs. Take one of the largest restoration works in Pakistan that has restored the Mughal-era monuments and centuries-old streets and homes in the historic Walled City of Lahore. The project has provided employment to an estimated 1,500 people, including young architects, art historians, engineers, fine artists, chemists, conservators and ceramists for over a decade. Ever since, demand for conservation skills has increased in the region. And a positive attitude towards urban rehabilitation has taken hold locally.

Vendors, craftspeople and service providers also see their businesses take off. In 2016, the Syrian Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums requested help to rehabilitate some of the country’s damaged sites. Restoring access to the heart of the Central Souk in Aleppo has allowed commerce to once again flourish in the Old City’s antique marketplace – and catalysed more public and private initiatives, reviving the entire area and stimulating the economy. By the end of 2025, nearly 280 shops will have been rehabilitated.

Restoration involves widespread upskilling in the community. Local people learn traditional building techniques, carpentry, masonry and conservation, setting them up for future employment.

During the creation of Al-Azhar Park in Cairo, Egypt, 6,500 people undertook vocational training, job placement, job counselling and craft business development services. In Afghanistan, nearly 10,000 people, mostly women, have graduated from training programmes that support conservation and rehabilitation work around the country.

Once trained many workers continue on a project as skilled craftspeople, while others find steady employment elsewhere. Practising these trades, local residents earn additional income that ensures their families greater financial stability and brighter prospects.

Training conservation specialists and building local capacity enables municipalities to create heritage management agencies. One such is the Walled City of Lahore Authority, which is now looking to develop specialised architectural conservation education and qualifications for long-term heritage preservation.

When done holistically, restoration of historic monuments upgrades the surrounding streets, homes and urban spaces that have also weathered centuries of neglect and poor repair. The creation of Al-Azhar Park did just that, as well as establish microcredit programmes for small business development, a healthcare centre, literacy classes and adult education in the adjacent neighbourhood of Darb al-Ahmar. Similarly, the restoration of Shigar Fort in northern Pakistan established clean drinking water supplies, improved sanitation and installed underground electrification.

Such services go beyond improving the quality of life for communities. With clean water and sanitation reducing illness and increasing productivity, citizens can attend school, engage in the economy and incur fewer health costs. Robust infrastructure enables industrial development, makes a country more attractive to investors and encourages tourism. In the past 15 years, Darb al-Ahmar has experienced some of the highest levels of development in Cairo.

In 2023, our 13 parks and gardens received over six million visitors. Spending by these tourists, whether on transport, accommodation, food or tickets, covers the sites’ running costs, brings an influx of money to the local economy and boosts government revenues through direct taxes and business incomes.

The restoration works have led to surges in such cultural tourism. Since the completion of Humayun’s Tomb and Garden Complex in Delhi, India in 2013, the annual number of visits has risen from 20,000 to two million. In Pakistan, since 2020, yearly visits to the World Heritage Site of Lahore Fort have increased from 1.6 million to about five million. In the historic neighbourhood of Darb al-Ahmar, Cairo, the urban regeneration spurred by the creation of Al-Azhar Park is ongoing even after two decades: a new guided touristic route opened in February 2023 that has brought an additional 8,000 visitors to the area, bringing opportunities for local sellers and craftspeople.

Renovated parks and gardens make culturally unique venues for performances, concerts and exhibitions, generating revenue and inspiring cultural production.

The official events and community gatherings in Khorog Park, Tajikistan attract 5,000 visitors per month, while the Shahi Hammam heritage museum welcomes 30,000 visitors per year to the Walled City of Lahore. The museum funds itself through talks, seminars and cultural and corporate events, while attracting further conservation funding for the city.

Heads of state including President Emmanuel Macron and former President Barack Obama have toured the Delhi sites, while King Charles has visited Cairo’s Al-Azhar Park. The sites are enhancing their countries’ global image, opening new opportunities.

Our current projects span buildings, neighbourhoods, parks and gardens, and World Heritage Sites across nine countries: see the sites.