Taj Mahal is considered to be one of the seven wonders of the modern world. It is an ultimate pride of India and regarded as one of the most recognised and attractive tourist spots in the world. India’s historical monument is visited by millions of inland and foreign tourists. However, there has been a massive decline in the total number of tourists visiting the Taj Mahal in 2020.
The historical monument was closed for a long time period in 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking to ANI, the Superintending Archaeologist of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in Agra Circle, Dr Vasant Kumar Swarnkar said, “As compared to 2019, tourists’ footfall has fallen by 76% at Taj Mahal in 2020.” Taj Mahal is one of the popular world heritage sites of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in India.
The Taj Mahal attracts around 65 lakh tourists every year, generating revenue of $14 million (Rs 99.99 crore) from entrance fees. However, business was disrupted in 2020. The biggest reason behind the decline in the number of visitors to the Taj Mahal was the Covid-19 pandemic.
Coronavirus hit the tourism industry in India hard. Several domestic and foreign tourists cancelled their hotel bookings and tour packages after restrictions were imposed on foreign travellers in order to control the spread of the deadly coronavirus in India. The tourism industry was badly affected due to the Coronavirus outbreak.
The iconic monument was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. It took 10 years to build Taj Mahal in Agra. The Taj Mahal, made of white marble, has been a center of attraction for the people on the banks of the Yamuna for more than 350 years.
People from all over the world come to see the Taj Mahal in Agra. It is said that if a foreign tourist comes to India, he definitely visits the Taj Mahal. But Taj Mahal has been affected by Coronavirus in 2020.
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