COVID-19 Has No Love For Taj
The number of tourists visiting the Taj Mahal in Agra is falling steadily these days due to the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
The tourism industry is the worst-affected due to the decline in tourist footfall and is now on the verge of collapse.
People from across India and the world visit Agra to see the Taj Mahal but the tourist industry in Agra, which otherwise remains at its peak at this time of the year, is teetering on the edge of disaster because of the coronavirus. Foreign tourists are fast cancelling their bookings on account of Covid-19 and among them, the largest number of tourists is from China, Japan and Korea. Ramesh Wadhwa, President, Hotel and Restaurant Owners’ Association, Agra, said, “The effect of the coronavirus can be seen clearly on the hotel business, which has experienced a decline of 16-17% in Agra. The government, issuing an advisory, has cancelled visas of foreign tourists till April 15, due to which there will definitely be a fall in the number of tourists, which will adversely affect the hotel, travel and restaurant businesses.” Vasant Kumar, Superintending Archaeologist, Archaeological Survey of India, said that the coronavirus could be one reason for the paucity of tourists but it cannot be said fully that the number of tourists has declined due to the coronavirus. Meanwhile, tourists arriving for a glimpse of the Taj Mahal are wearing masks because of fear of spread of the coronavirus. On Thursday, around 20,000 domestic and foreign tourists visited the Taj Mahal. While earlier, tourists used to stand in queues for hours, waiting for their turn to see the Taj Mahal, now silence prevails in the historic complex.
People from across India and the world visit Agra to see the Taj Mahal but the tourist industry in Agra, which otherwise remains at its peak at this time of the year, is teetering on the edge of disaster because of the coronavirus. Foreign tourists are fast cancelling their bookings on account of Covid-19 and among them, the largest number of tourists is from China, Japan and Korea. Ramesh Wadhwa, President, Hotel and Restaurant Owners’ Association, Agra, said, “The effect of the coronavirus can be seen clearly on the hotel business, which has experienced a decline of 16-17% in Agra. The government, issuing an advisory, has cancelled visas of foreign tourists till April 15, due to which there will definitely be a fall in the number of tourists, which will adversely affect the hotel, travel and restaurant businesses.” Vasant Kumar, Superintending Archaeologist, Archaeological Survey of India, said that the coronavirus could be one reason for the paucity of tourists but it cannot be said fully that the number of tourists has declined due to the coronavirus. Meanwhile, tourists arriving for a glimpse of the Taj Mahal are wearing masks because of fear of spread of the coronavirus. On Thursday, around 20,000 domestic and foreign tourists visited the Taj Mahal. While earlier, tourists used to stand in queues for hours, waiting for their turn to see the Taj Mahal, now silence prevails in the historic complex.
In the wake of #Coronavirusoutbreak, the iconic #TajMahal in #Agra sees an all time decline in footfall. The #tourismindustry has been hit the most and is now on the verge of collapse@rumanaalvi4 #indiantourism
— GoNewsIndia (@GoNews_India) March 13, 2020
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