Declining visitation to the Agra District of Utter Pradesh, India has some tourism officials calling for the introduction of casino gaming in the region, which is most famous for the historic Taj Mahal.
The white marble mausoleum on the Yamuna River, built in 1632 by a Mughal emperor, is not to be confused with the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, the flashy casino resort (now closed) once owned by Donald Trump.
According to the Hindustan Times, tourists to the district stay less than a day on average. Some officials says casinos could give the industry a lift and restore the nightlife scene that dwindled in the 1980s, after terrorist threats prompted the government to close the monument and other tourist sites at sunset.
Rajeev Tiwari, former chairman of National Chamber for Industries and Commerce’s Agra chapter says the demand for casinos was first made a decade ago but languished because gambling is illegal in India. An “amendment in legislation can open the way for casinos in Agra,” he said. In the state of Goa, “casinos exist since long as the state enjoys exemption. This helps to attract tourists.”
Rakesh Chahan, president of the local Hotel and Restaurant Association, also wants casinos in Agra and said the group would make a formal proposal to the authorities. “There can be various measures to increase night attractions that include light and sound shows at Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri, laser shows, digital fountains … and granting licenses for casinos to hotels,” Chauhan said.
“We need a fusion of modern and historical attractions for tourists, mainly the foreign ones,” agreed Sandeep Arora, president of Agra Tourism Development Foundation. “Like Nepal and Goa, we can set up casinos only for foreigners.”
Presently, Arora said, “Tourists, mainly foreigners, visit Taj Mahal in the day and move to Jaipur or Delhi in evening.”
Meanwhile in Goa, state lawmakers continue to insist they will move six casino boats off the Mandovi River in March 2020. The government of the city of Panaji has decided not to renew trade licenses of the ships, forcing them to shift out of jurisdiction of the state capital.
In early September, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had said casinos are an important aspect of tourism in the state as they attract visitors, but residents have long decried the disruption to the waterways and fisheries there.
