AGRA: Earlier, long queues were seen at the ticket counter but now the footfalls at Agra‘s most popular destination — Taj Mahal have fallen considerably due to one or the other reason.
Daily visitor numbers to the Taj Mahal average 10,000-15,000 but can be much higher at weekends, going up to around 70,000.
However, the number of visitors to the iconic 17th-century monument to love in the current year is no better.
In December this year, Taj Mahal, biggest tourist attraction has seen a dip of 36 per cent, reported Times Of India.
| Month/Year | Tourist footfall |
| November 2018 | 6.7 lakh |
| November 2019 | 5.4 lakh |
| December 2018 | 7 lakh |
| December 2019 | 4.5 lakh |
Multiple reasons has been reported that have had a negative impact on the Taj Mahal’s tourist footfall.
Tourists visiting the monument are visibly inconvenienced by the ongoing widespread protests against the new Citizenship Amendment Act.
The fact that several nations deeming India as “an unsafe travel destination” and issue travel advisories to its citizens visiting the country has hit the tourism industry and have resulted In 60 % decline in tourist arrivals.
Countries including the US, UK, Canada, France, Israel, Singapore, and Russia have issued travel advisories.
The concerning news about the drop of tourist numbers started in November when the Supreme Court delivered its verdict in Ayodhya title suit.
According to Superintending Archaeologist in ASI (Agra circle) Vasant Swarankar, the decline in footfalls was not ‘unusual.’
“Though we are not aware of the exact causes of this decline, violence and unrest across the nation could be one of the reasons,” said Swarankar.
The Taj Mahal was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth in 1631.