Reviving tourism: Monuments open, but more needs to be done to bring back tourists

In some welcome news, government yesterday allowed the opening of all centrally protected monuments, subject to approval of local authorities, nearly a 100 days after they were ordered to close. This means that those monuments that are located in Covid-19 hotspots will remain shut. In fact, the country’s most popular monument, the Taj Mahal, remains shut for now as it falls within a containment zone. Similar decisions have also been taken by local authorities vis-à-vis monuments in Prayagraj, Varanasi and Hyderabad.

But for those monuments that have opened, this is a good opportunity to slowly revive tourism and related activities. After all, tourism is the industry that creates most jobs per rupee invested. At a time when the country’s economic outlook remains bleak, we need the tourism industry to revive and bring back jobs. Of course, all necessary precautions have to be taken given that Covid cases in the country are rising. Which is why visits to the opened monuments will require e-tickets, mandatory use of Aarogya Setu mobile app, compulsory wearing of masks, thermal scanning at entry points, and a cap on the number of people who can be on the premises at a given time.

But more needs to be done to give tourism a boost. While international flights remain banned, domestic flights are yet to see even half of pre-Covid volumes. Trains too are taking time to become freely operational. The most important element needed here is confidence in our anti-Covid protocols. It’s only then that we can negotiate travel bubbles with other countries to bring in foreign tourists. In that sense, the tourism industry can set the standards for managing Covid by stringently following safety guidelines and inculcating behavioural change. It’s time we invite people to enjoy once again the wonders of India.