Tourists give Taj tomb a miss post ticket hike
Anuja.Jaiswal@timesgroup.com
Agra:19.12.2018
A week after the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) introduced a separate ticket of ₹200 for entry into the main mausoleum of Taj Mahal, the number of tourists entering it has seen a 35-40% fall – from 10,000 visitors a day earlier to just 6,000 now.
According to the officials, only 6,000-6,700 tourists are now visiting the main mausoleum daily. The main mausoleum of the 17th century world heritage site consists of artistic replicas of the graves of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal.
WIN-WIN SITUATION
Before the introduction of the separate ticket, the number of tourists to the Mughal-era building used to be all most twice, ranging between 12,000 and 18,000 every day.
Tourists, who only buy the ₹50 entry ticket, can now move around the Taj, including visiting its rear side where the Yamuna flows. For entering the main mausoleum, the tourists have to shell out an extra ₹200, which many are not doing now.
However, the decline in the number of tourists to the main mausoleum has made ASI officials happy, as the main motive behind the introduction of a separate entry ticket was to limit the footfall. “It is a winwin both for our conversation efforts as well as revenue generation,” said superintending archeologist, ASI (Agra circle), Vasant K Swarankar.
Swarankar added that it is good for tourists, too, as they don’t have to stand in the long queue for the mausoleum and they can easily move around due to the lesser crowds there. He said that the ASI has also arranged a ticket window inside the monument, for buying tickets for entering the main mausoleum. According to experts, the huge flow of visitors is causing irreversible damages to the marble floors, walls and foundations.
Anuja.Jaiswal@timesgroup.com
Agra:19.12.2018
A week after the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) introduced a separate ticket of ₹200 for entry into the main mausoleum of Taj Mahal, the number of tourists entering it has seen a 35-40% fall – from 10,000 visitors a day earlier to just 6,000 now.
According to the officials, only 6,000-6,700 tourists are now visiting the main mausoleum daily. The main mausoleum of the 17th century world heritage site consists of artistic replicas of the graves of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal.
WIN-WIN SITUATION
Before the introduction of the separate ticket, the number of tourists to the Mughal-era building used to be all most twice, ranging between 12,000 and 18,000 every day.
Tourists, who only buy the ₹50 entry ticket, can now move around the Taj, including visiting its rear side where the Yamuna flows. For entering the main mausoleum, the tourists have to shell out an extra ₹200, which many are not doing now.
However, the decline in the number of tourists to the main mausoleum has made ASI officials happy, as the main motive behind the introduction of a separate entry ticket was to limit the footfall. “It is a winwin both for our conversation efforts as well as revenue generation,” said superintending archeologist, ASI (Agra circle), Vasant K Swarankar.
Swarankar added that it is good for tourists, too, as they don’t have to stand in the long queue for the mausoleum and they can easily move around due to the lesser crowds there. He said that the ASI has also arranged a ticket window inside the monument, for buying tickets for entering the main mausoleum. According to experts, the huge flow of visitors is causing irreversible damages to the marble floors, walls and foundations.
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