Munjal, G Munjal Competitiveness and Internationalization of Service Industry

City Palace Udaipur: A Case study for Sustainable Heritage Tourism through Services
Enhancement
Sandeep Munjal
Assistant Dean
Institute for International Management and Technology
Parul G Munjal
Senior Conservation Architect and
Assistant Editor of international refereed journal 'Context: Built
Living and Natural’, Dronah

ABSTRACT
The City Palace Complex, Udaipur is a heritage property being used as a museum that has undergone a detailed planning exercise
through an international grant, with implemented and proposed initiatives. Taking this as a case study, the planning and implementation
frameworks for guiding development and management of the property have been analysed and an attempt has been made to establish
the link between service enhancements and sustainability of cultural heritage properties. The quality gap model has been applied to the
services provided in the Palace Complex, to establish a systematic process for ensuring customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction
is further linked to sustainability by analysing current visitor and financial data trends. The case study illustrates an exemplary
process of developing frameworks for guiding management and development of a cultural heritage site. Heritage properties are
resources that can act as means of sustaining the cultural heritage and local economies, if developed and managed with appropriate
guiding frameworks and management tools. It can be concluded that service enhancements in cultural heritage resources can act as
means of sustaining the resources, boosting the local economy and generating livelihoods. The study encourages heritage property
owners and entrepreneurs to invest on service enhancements in heritage resources and urges management and service industry
professionals to understand the need and process of applying management tools and frameworks in such cases.

INTRODUCTION range attracts 800,000 tourists per year where the local
population is about 500,000. The City Palace Complex,

T
he City Palace Complex is a benchmark case study
Udaipur is under the ownership of Maharana of Mewar
of a heritage property, where facilities are being
Charitable Foundation (MMCF) since 1969, when the most
designed on the basis of a set of planning documents
historic core of the palace complex was converted to a
developed after conducting detailed research, surveys,
museum. The foundation utilises its resources in
documentation and analysis, to balance the concerns for
maintenance of the City Palace Complex spread over an
continuity of its cultural significance and achieving financial
area of 26,620 square metres (6.5 acres) along with other
sustainability. Service enhancement has been proposed at
philanthropic activities. The City Palace Museum, the
various levels such as world class interpretation in existing
Maharana Mewar Special Library, the Maharana Mewar
galleries, reuse of locked spaces for incorporating additional
Research Institute, the publications division and the
galleries and visitor facilities, enabling access for the
educational institutes are some of the key projects within
differently-abled, setting up of an Interpretation Centre,
the City Palace Complex being managed and developed by
developing heritage merchandise for dissemination of the
the Foundation. Up to 2004, the Foundation self-financed
significance of the site to various target groups and
all maintenance and conservation works in the Palace
organising outreach events. The Complex that functions
Complex, though all such conservation and maintenance
as a museum provides multiple opportunities for setting
works were carried out in an adhoc manner based on the
up of food and beverage and retail operations catering to
immediate site needs with no planning documents and no
the visitors that can help in improving the visitor experience
systematic records (Conservation Master Plan, MMCF,
and in turn generate revenue to make itself a financially
2009).
viable entity. This link has been explored through the paper,
MMCF applied for a planning grant from the Getty
by applying a theoretical framework and management model
Foundation in Los Angeles, USA in 2004 (Phase I- November
to the City Palace Complex, Udaipur which has been
2005 to July 2007) and subsequently in 2008 (Phase II-
considered as the case study organisation.
November 2008 to October 2009). The awarded grants
SITE CONTEXTAND FRAMEWORKS resulted in preparation of planning documents for the
Lake city of Udaipur in the state of Rajasthan in India, is conservation and development of the site, namely
home to the City Palace Complex which is a major Conservation Master Plan, Cultural Heritage Tourism Plan,
destination for domestic and overseas tourists. The city’s Risk Management Plan, Interpretation and Use Plan
architectural and cultural heritage combined with its unique (including Lighting Plan) and Environment Management
geographical setting of lakes and the Aravalli mountain Plan.

23 5thInternational Conference on Services Management, May 19-21, 2011