Museums as spaces of tourism: Negotiating history and memory in India
This article is available ahead of final issue assignment and was released online on 23 Oct 2026.
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Museums occupy a central position in India’s cultural and tourism landscape, functioning as institutions that curate material heritage, interpret historical narratives, and shape collective memory. In the contemporary context, museums have transitioned from passive custodians of artifacts to active agents of heritage-based tourism, education, and identity politics. This paper examines how Indian museums negotiate history and memory while simultaneously engaging with tourism as a developmental and economic driver. Drawing upon heritage tourism theory, memory studies, and cultural representation frameworks, the analysis highlights how museums in India mediate narratives of nationalism, colonialism, regional identity, and community belonging. Through selected examples such as the National Museum (New Delhi), Partition Museum (Amritsar), and tribal and community museums, this research illustrates how curatorial choices influence the tourist experience and public understanding of the past. By combining qualitative literature review with secondary data analysis, the study underscores challenges related to representation, inclusivity, commodification, and narrative bias. The findings affirm that although museums strengthen cultural tourism and economic vitality, their historical authority requires ethical responsibility to ensure plural and dialogic memory practices that empower diverse communities.
Article History
How to Cite
Maram, V. R. & Salkanti, M. V.. (2026). Museums as spaces of tourism: Negotiating history and memory in India. Journal of Business and Retail Management Research, Volume 21 Issue 01.
Citation Context
APA
Maram, V. R. & Salkanti, M. V.. (2026). Museums as spaces of tourism: Negotiating history and memory in India. Journal of Business and Retail Management Research, Volume 21 Issue 01.
MLA
Maram, Venkataramana Reddy, and Mr. Vivek Salkanti. "Museums as spaces of tourism: Negotiating history and memory in India." Journal of Business and Retail Management Research, Volume 21 Issue 01, 2026.
Chicago
Venkataramana Reddy Maram and Mr. Vivek Salkanti. "Museums as spaces of tourism: Negotiating history and memory in India." Journal of Business and Retail Management Research Volume 21 Issue 01 (23 Oct 2026).
Harvard
Maram, V. R. & Salkanti, M. V. (2026) Museums as spaces of tourism: Negotiating history and memory in India. Journal of Business and Retail Management Research, Volume 21 Issue 01
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