Leveraging Visitor Satisfaction for Sustainable Tourism and Economic Growth: A Case of the Golden Triangle in India

The Golden Triangle circuit (Delhi–Agra–Jaipur) is India’s most iconic tourism product, yet it faces mounting pressure from overtourism, environmental degradation, and economic leakage to non-regional operators. We argue that strategic management of visitor satisfaction can play a key role in transforming this high-volume circuit into a sustainable destination that delivers long-term economic growth. Drawing on expectancy disconfirmation theory (EDT), SERVQUAL (service quality), perceived value theory, social exchange theory (SET), destination competitiveness models, and systematic classification of destination attributes, this study evaluates destination attributes and visitor satisfaction. This study assesses the importance of visitor satisfaction with the Golden Triangle and proposes a comprehensive framework for its measurement and application with destination-specific attributes. It uses a qualitative methodology that incorporates an extensive review of information available through various sources and triangulates findings with autoethnography. It identifies key attributes driving tourist satisfaction in the Golden Triangle and assesses the overall current state of the circuit. Furthermore, it identifies major challenges (harassment, congestion, and leakage) and proposes actionable improvements through smart technology, community-based tourism, and real-time feedback. A comprehensive evaluation of visitor satisfaction with various destination attributes of the Golden Triangle reveals that it performs well, as the outcome shows high overall satisfaction. This study also highlights that overall visitor satisfaction is an indirect economic lever that impacts local economic activity by creating jobs and earning foreign currency. The Golden Triangle can possibly serve as a replicable model for other heritage circuits in the Global South with similar characteristics.