Agra prepares for September season
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Agra’s tourism industry is preparing for the tourist season beginning 1 September by launching luxury buses, upgrading monuments and even recruiting English-speaking policemen – all of which is expected to improve the appeal of the city of the Taj Mahal.Latest figures of the financial year ended 31 March from the central tourism ministry confirm Agra is at the top position among tourist destinations in India, Times of India said.The Taj Mahal earned around INR20 crore from sale of entrance tickets alone. It topped the list of Archaeological Survey of India’s Agra circle monuments with 4.18 million Indian and 624,000 foreign tourists visiting it last year.”Time has come to consolidate the gains and not fritter away the advantage, through increased cooperation and coordination among various government agencies and the local industry,” Rajiv Tiwari, a senior tourism industry leader, was quoted saying.District authorities in cooperation with the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department have finalised a number of schemes that would broadbase facilities for visitors.Visitors will now be able to board luxurious air-conditioned specially done-up Marco Polo buses, for a tour of the city from the Agra Cantt railway station.Four buses will take the tourists to Fatehpur Sikri, Sikandra, Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort, according to the regional manager of the state roadways, Neeraj Saxena. Buses will have women conductors and a woman constable.Tourist guides and brochures would be provided in the buses for convenience. LCD screens will provide relevant information about the monuments.The state tourism department is already working on the Heritage Walk project which will enable tourists to witness the grandeur of the heritage city on foot, the paper said.Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Aseem Arun has unveiled a package of police reforms that will not only increase the visibility of cops but also quicken their response.Funds from entrance tickets to various monuments collected by the Agra Development Authority would be used to give a makeover to the police image, the report said.
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