Row over Taj Mahal fees

Tourists are demanding better facilities around the Taj Mahal

Tour operators in India are threatening legal action against a government decision to increase admission fees for foreign tourists visiting Agra's famous Taj Mahal.

The president of Indian Association of Tour Operators (Iato), Subhash Goel, told the BBC that the decision would adversely affect their business as they were not given sufficient notice.

International tourism depends on overseas tour operators who make programmes six months to a year in advance

Iato president Subhash Goel

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which looks after the country's national monuments, announced on 19 October that the entry fee at 72 national monuments was being raised.

The increase, it said, would come into effect from 28 October.

High entry fee

For foreign tourists visiting the Taj Mahal, the decision means a 100% increase in the entry fee.

As against $10 earlier, they will now have to pay $21 to see the 17th century monument - built by Mughal emperor Shahjahan.

There is an additional charge of $10 for all monuments declared World Heritage by the Unesco.

Indian tour operators say international tours are planned months in advance, and the hike announced by the ASI will have to made good by them.

"We are under contractual obligation with the overseas operators, who have paid us the money in advance," said Mr Goel.

"At this late stage, we cannot suddenly ask them to pay us double the amount as entry fee."

Taj Mahal attracts 2.5m tourists every year, and according to the government's own figures, about 900,000 of them come from foreign countries.

Better facilities

Ashok Yadav, tourism minister for the northern state of Uttar Pradesh - where Agra is located - said foreign tourists had been asking for better facilities in recent years.

Foreign tourists are asking for better facilities like better sanitation, wider roads, a golf course behind the Taj Mahal and a national park

Uttar Pradesh tourism minister Ashok Yadav

"They want better sanitation around the Taj Mahal, wider roads, better taxis and good hotels. So we were compelled to raise the prices," he told the BBC.

Mr Yadav said the demands for better facilities were at a recent international seminar, in which representatives of the tour operators also participated.

"If we are willing to enhance better facilities, then we are authorised to price high," was how he defended the short notice period.

Meanwhile, tour operators are waiting for a response to their representations to the tourism ministry.

They say they will approach the courts if the ministry does not respond to their concerns.