Valuing cultural heritage through non-monetary scales: a comparison

A novel approach to valuing cultural heritage reveals that non-monetary scales, such as time spent visiting, provide more nuanced insights into user behavior compared to traditional monetary metrics. This study, focusing on Rohtas Fortdemonstrates an inverse relationship between the cost of accessing a site and the intensity of demand when measured through travel cost (monetary) versus time investment (non-monetary). Findings indicate that individuals who invest more time in their visits are often characterized as fanatics, enthusiasts, dazzled youth, or educated adults. This challenges conventional valuation methods by highlighting how non-monetary scales can better inform cultural management strategies and pricing policies for heritage institutions.

Espinosa-Casero, F., & Herrero-Prieto, L. C. (2025). Valuing cultural heritage through non-monetary scales: a comparison. Journal of Cultural Economics, 50(3), 631–661. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10824-025-09560-2