Taj Mahal, Agra Fort to open on Sept. 21; Tourism industry has high hopes

Our Correspondent

The Taj Mahal, a major tourist destination in India, will open on September 21. The Taj Mahal was closed last March following the spread of COVID-19.

The Agra District Magistrate had announced that all the historical monuments in the city, which were classified as part of the buffer zone due to the lockdown, would be open for tourists from September 1. But the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort were not open. The district magistrate then ordered the Taj Mahal to reopen on September 21.

Only 5,000 people a day are allowed to visit the Taj Mahal and 2,500 a day at the Agra Fort. There will be no ticket counters. Instead, visitors will be given e- tickets. Social distance, wearing a mask and sanitizer are mandatory.

The tourism industry has been hit hardest by the lockdown announced in the COVID-19 context. With the reopening of the Taj Mahal, the hotel industry is expected to be re-enrgised. Those in the hotel industry say they are ready to receive tourists.