Seven-day wonder

Hotels in Agra try to cash in on the renewed interest in the Taj Mahal.

With the Taj Mahal making it to the list of the new seven wonders of the world in a world-wide Internet poll, the monument of love Shahjahan built for his wife, Mumtaz, as well as the city of Agra have been buzzing with activity.

There has been a slight rise in the number of Indian tourists visiting the Taj Mahal, though it will be some time before a similar rise in the influx of foreign tourists can be felt.

Anticipating a rise in the number of tourists arriving in the town, the budget and mid-level hotels of Agra have declared up to 20 per cent discount on room tariffs and other services. The discount shall continue for a year, ending on 7 July, 2008.

Meanwhile, in the light of the new international status earned by the monument, the Taj Conservation Committee, led by Supreme Court lawyer Ajay Agarwal, has again raised the demand for an international airport in Agra claiming that the infrequent chartered flights arriving at the India Air Force-controlled civil airport of the town were not sufficient to cater to the increased flow of foreign tourists.

According to Rakesh Chauhan, president, Agra Hotel and Restaurants Association, though the Internet campaign run by the New 7 Wonders Foundation had not been designated as an official campaign by UNESCO, it still had led to extensive worldwide publicity for the Taj Mahal which could not be accomplished by any other means.

He said that the effect of this campaign had been felt worldwide and already the number of domestic tourists visiting the Taj Mahal in a single day had risen from nearly 11,000 to over 13,500 tourists.

According to Chauhan, the local budget hotels accounted for almost 80 per cent of the total room capacity available in Agra and to promote themselves among the anticipated influx of tourists, the budget hotels had decided to offer a discount of up to 20 percent on room tariffs and other services.

Chauhan urged the star category hotels to follow suit and offer similar discounts to promote tourism in Agra claiming that a large number of foreign tourists usually preferred to stay in the star category hotels and by offering discounts, the foreign tourists could be attracted to come and stay in Agra instead of making a day's trip from Delhi.