Economics of “Alhambra y Generalife”

The World Heritage site of the Alhambra y Generalife in Granada is one of the most reputed in the World. It consists of 560 hectares of protected areas composed of monuments, fortified places, houses, gardens and agricultural and forest lands. GAIA-heritage was contracted by the Government through the “Patronato de la Alhambra y Generalife” to study the site’s contribution to the municipal and regional economy, focusing on how to further enhance its benefit by strengthening the links between both levels of governance. We have analysed the internal functioning of the site, its fragility and various uses to identify ways to maximise its returns through non-destructive means and to improve the management of tourism influxes. In the second phase, while evaluating the role of the site within the regional economy, GAIA suggested solutions to reinforce economic interactions with its surroundings, namely in the nearby district of Albaicin. This project was concluded during the Summer of 2005 with an international seminar on the management and economics of heritage in the Alhambra premises.