29 September,2009 07:47 AM IST | | Agencies
Despite housing the Taj Mahal and two other World Heritage monuments, Agra's tourist flow remains more or less static due to poor infrastructure and an unclean environment, say hotel owners and tour operators.
Even as official bodies organised ritualistic welcome of foreigners at hotels on World Tourism Day, industry leaders complained of lack of official patronage to develop tourism infrastructure in the city.
"Despite being the number one tourism destination of India, Agra lacks the basic infrastructure to take advantage of the smokeless industry," said Surendra Sharma, president of the Agra Hotels and Restaurants Association.
"In 2007, when the Taj was voted a wonder, we thought the scenario would change and action would be taken on our long list of demands. But we lost an opportunity," said Sharma.
Agra is home to the 17th century Taj Mahal, one of the wonders of the world, as well as the Agra Fort and the ancient Mughal city complex at the nearby Fatehpur Sikri.
But despite these attractions, Agra has not been able to significantly increase the number of visitors and increase the night stay of most from a few hours to a few days.
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