With its romantic history and an eye-catching appearance, the Taj Mahal is one of the world’s most incredible buildings. It’s also one of the most-visited places in India – but a new increase in ticket prices is hoping to curb the number of travellers that go there each day.
A group of tourists visits the Taj Mahal at sunrise. Image by ©Nicole Kwiatkowski/Shutterstock
The white marble mausoleum was famously commissioned by Emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. It was completely back in 1666 and has become a massive attraction for international travellers and tourists within India.
Located near the city of Agra, protecting the iconic white building has become a priority in recent years, as it was becoming increasingly discoloured from pollution and insects. The Indian Supreme Court even ordered the state government to take care of the monument or shut it down, while earlier this year, authorities from the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) limited tourists numbers to 40,000 per day to help reduce the impact of so many people.
The Taj Mahal (UNESCO World Heritage Site) in Agra, India. Image by ©Jenner Images/Getty Images
Now, the ASI has raised ticket prices in order to help cut down on the number of visitors that flock to the mausoleum each day. For international travellers, the price has been raised from about £13 to £15, which is a small increase compared to the boost in price for locals. Since most of the visitors at the Taj Mahal are from India, the price rise to visit will jump from 50 (£0.55) to 250 rupees (£2.75), which is a 400% increase in cost, reports the Telegraph.
Tourists swarm the Taj Mahal in India during the early hours after sunrise, to see the wonder and to take photos. Image by ©IulianU/Getty Images
The hope is that this will have the dual effect of cutting visitor numbers and generating more revenue to help with conservation efforts. The ASI believes that the move will reduce the number of visitors by about 15 to 20%, according to the Guardian.
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