The offer of culture translate very directly in improvement of life quality.
Cultural services match some basic immaterial needs of people and thus contribute to improving their quality of life in a very direct manner.
An increase in income will also likely translate in a improvement of life quality, but in an indirect manner: in fact although income can buy something which match a perceived need, satisfaction will come after a chain of conditions and events, a sequence of causes-effects.
Innovative capacity develops on the tree of cultural heritage, which is thus a development engine. Culture is the best ambassador of a people.