With the dollar falling sharply against the rupee, foreigners in India, especially tourists, are finding it increasingly to find the right value of the currency. Their plights became more pronounced following a recent directive from the Union Minister for Culture Ambika Soni stating that only rupee be allowed as entry fee at the gates of the various prominent heritage sites and buildings in the country.
While, this has been done deliberately to avoid losses in revenue owing to the sharp fall of the dollar, the ‘no dollar, hail rupee’ slogan has a double effect. With the dollar rate coming down to Rs. 39.25 from Rs 50 in the recent past, Indian tourists are having a gala time having to pay much less to enter these monuments, while the foreigners face the burnt.
When the dollar stood strong at Rs 50, entrance fees at many of the heritage sites for foreign tourists were initially priced in dollars and then converted to rupees. But the falling dollar against the rupee has made the Culture Ministry suffer tourism revenues. Earlier, the government charged $5 as entrance fee for the World Heritage sites, including the Taj Mahal and Humayun’s Tomb, and $2 for visiting other monuments.
This was when the exchange rate of dollar was Rs 50, but now worth around Rs 39. Hence, the revised rates for the Heritage sites are Rs 250. This means that instead of paying $5, now the foreign tourists will have to cough up as much as $6.50. Contrary to this, the Indian tourists will be enjoying the old rates fixed for them. The rates are applicable at the ASI controlled heritage sites.
In all there are 27 World Heritage properties in India, including 22 cultural properties and five natural properties. Among them 18 are protected as well as ticketed by ASI. The lsit of heritage sites coming under the new order include the Red Fort, Taj Mahal, Ajanta-Ellora caves, Khajuraho, Old Goa churches, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mahabodhi Temple and the Qutub Minar.
Commenting on the changes, a senior ministry official said that the new rates have been fixed keeping in view the international norms and it will also help in avoiding any kind of anomaly arising out of the dollar-rupee exchange rates.
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