Coronavirus in India: Historic sights, monumental silence

Tourists, both domestic and foreign, were in for a rude shock on March 17 when they were turned away from the Taj Mahal as the Archeological Survey of India decided to close down all monuments and protected sites in view of the global coronavirus pandemic. The last time in Independent India that the Taj Mahal was shut down for visitors was during the 1971 Indo-Pak war.

Tourism has come to a grinding halt due to the coronavirus pandemic. Some of the worst affected states include Uttar Pradesh, which accounted for 15.4% of all domestic tourists and Maharashtra, which accounted for nearly a quarter of international tourist arrivals in 2018.

A view of deserted streets around the Hawa Mahal in Jaipur, Rajasthan. ( Photo by Himanshu Vyas / Hindustan Times )

Charminar wears a deserted look during a nationwide lockdown, imposed in the wake of coronavirus pandemic, in Hyderabad, Sunday, March 29, 2020. ( PTI )

A Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel stands guard inside the empty premises of the historic Taj Mahal during a 21-day nationwide lockdown to slow the spreading of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Agra, India. ( REUTERS )

The India Gate war memorial is pictured after air pollution level started to drop during a 21-day nationwide lockdown to slow the spreading of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in New Delhi, India. ( REUTERS )

Police barricades seen outside the Red Fort during the second day of lockdown imposed by the state government to curb the spread of coronavirus, in New Delhi, India. ( Biplov Bhuyan/HT PHOTO )

South Mumbai’s bustling tourist hotspots of Colaba causeway and Apollo Bunder — home to the colonial era monument, the Gateway of India — are empty. Even the ferries that leave from the port to destinations like Aurangabad and Alibaug in the mainland, have stopped.

Suhas Chatkara, co-founder of Mumbai-based tour organiser Routed India said that he had lost around ₹40 to ₹50 lakh in cancellations of bookings made in April and May, usually busy months owing to summer holidays in schools and colleges.

“Of all sectors, tourism was hit first and will take the longest to recover. But we remain hopeful that once the curbs are lifted, domestic tourists will start moving; international tourism might take longer as air travel will continue to have restrictions,” said director general (tourism) Meenakshi Sharma. Domestic tourists account for a larger share in yearly earnings.

Pranob Sarkar of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), an apex body of inbound tour-operators, said that there have been no new bookings since March. “It might take us anywhere from 12 to 24 months to come to normal levels of operation.”