Rising fees on tourist attractions may deter visitors

As the COVID-19 coronavirus appears to winding down with vaccines being administered around the globe, attempts to reignite tourism may actually put a damper on drawing visitors.

1. IndiGo Airline is launching flights from Agra to Mumbai in India beginning near the end of this month.
2. Some tourist attractions such as the Taj Mahal have increased their entrance fees since pre-COVID times.
3. Tourism stakeholders are saying this may be a deterrent and is not be the right signal to send would-be travelers.

In the iconic city of Taj in Agra, India, after long and sustained efforts, IndiGo Airline is finally starting flights to Agra from Mumbai beginning on March 29, 2021. Flights will be available 3 times a week but will not include Delhi. Industry sources believe routes should be daily and should include the city of Delhi.

There are, however, negative signals coming from Taj Mahal and other tourist monument attractions in the form of increased entry fees. Not only is the basic entry fee for the Taj higher than pre-COVID prices, but costs have also been raised to view attractions inside the palace connected with the Mughal emperor.

Ustad Ahmad Lahori was an architect during Mughal Empire. It is said that he was the chief architect of the Taj Mahal that was built between 1632 and 1648 during the ruling period of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.

Sunil Gupta of Travel Bureau predicts that the total burden on a family going to Agra may well increase by Rs 4000 (around US$55).

As was, and in some places still is, the case during the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism has been nil, and only now a few domestic travelers are venturing out. Even with new flights becoming available, the steep increase in entry fees may deter some from traveling to India.

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