India’s most iconic attraction, the Taj Mahal, will now be more expensive to visit, for both international and local tourists.
Admission has gone up from 50 rupees to 250 rupees for Indian citizens. Foreigners will now be charged 1100 rupees, with an additional 200 rupees to visit the main mausoleum. Children under the age of 15 can still visit for free, regardless of nationality.
The Indian government cited over-tourism as the main reason for the ticket price increase. Currently, the Taj Mahal sees about seven million visitors per year, which has led to overcrowding and structural damage. Environmental damage from pollution is also an ongoing concern.
Another measure to prevent such overcrowding took place in March of this year, when a three-hour cap was put on the length of visits.