Taj city witnesses sharp dip in foreign tourists

Agra, Aug 30 (UNI) The number of foreign tourists visiting the city of Taj has witnessed a sharp decline following large scale violence which erupted here yesterday.

Violence erupted when a mob torched ten trucks and several shops after four youths, who were returning from a nearby graveyard in connection with 'Shab-e-baraat', were run over by a truck near Subhash Chowk area on the Mahatma Gandhi Road yesterday.

Talking to UNI here today, Vinod Sharma, manager of a local hotel, said, ''owing to the violence, the city has witnessed a 25 per cent dip in the number of foreigners. Many local and alien tourists have got their reservations cancelled also.'' District Magistrate Mukesh Meshram said, ''each and every person coming to the city is our guest. Their security is our utmost concern and we have so far met with our responsibility.'' Over 20,000 national and international tourists visit the city of Taj everyday. Tour operators in Delhi have been advised through their local counterparts to postpone tours to Agra for at least the next few days.

Many tourists are presently lodged in the Taj Ganj and Sadar area near the 17th century monument of love, which had come under curfew after the violence.

UNI