AGRA: An increasing number of Indian tourists to Taj Mahal are opting for online bookings for entry tickets, as the financial year 2017-18 has seen a nearly 22% increase in such bookings. However, this has not translated into an increased turnover from online bookings as revenue has dropped by 63%.The primary reason for this fall, according to Archaeological Survey of India ( ASI ) officials, is that foreign tourists, who pay a higher entry fee, are choosing to buy physical tickets at the gate rather than online.Superintending archaeologist, Agra circle of ASI, Vasant Swarankar said, “Though more Indians are going for online booking, the low cost of their tickets does not translate into increased revenue.”The tickets of Indian tourists are in fact 200 times cheaper than the foreigners’. At present, a domestic tourist pays Rs 50 for entering the Taj Mahal’s premises, whereas visitors from SAARC nations pay Rs 540 and other foreign visitors shell out Rs 1,100.According to statistics provided by ASI, the online earnings in the financial year 2016-17 was Rs 5.21 crore, which dipped to Rs 1.92 crore in 2017-18. However, the number of tickets sold was 86,251 and 1.07 lakh in 2016-17 and 2017-18 respectively.In 2018, the online tickets sale recorded from April 1 to August 31 was 48,108 and revenue collected through this was Rs 74.92 lakh. However, officials feel that the online sales will go up, as the tourist season has started now.According to ASI officials, there are around six ticket counters at each of the East and West gates and one exclusive counter for foreigners as their numbers are less and they don’t have to wait for hours in long queues like their Indian counterparts. There are three counters designated for Indian tourists.However, revenue earned through sale of entry tickets at the gates of the Taj Mahal has gone up. In 2016-17, the revenue earned was Rs 49.17 crore, which has increased to Rs 56.79 crore in 2017-18.Swarankar said that online ticket sales have picked up but still majority of tourists prefer to buy tickets at the counters.Secretary of Tourism Guild Association, Rajeev Saxena, said, “Since online bookings require several details of the buyers, including name, address and passport number, foreign tourists who usually come in groups of 30 or 40 prefer to purchase tickets off the counter. We need to make the online process of buying tickets less tedious to encourage it. Another major factor which deters foreigners from buying tickets online is that they are non-refundable.”

Stay updated with all the Lucknow Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.