Tourist arrival in New Delhi is unlikely to be affected by the toxic air
Tour operators and officials at the Union tourism ministry have said that the tourist arrival in New Delhi is unlikely to be affected by the toxic air that has further enveloped the city for the past seven days and is hopeful that the situation will improve soon.
“Inbound tourist traffic has not yet witnessed a dip on the account of the continuing smog. The tourism ministry has not issued any advisory while asking the tourists not to visit Delhi, as this is a temporary phenomenon that will further get blown off after the rains that are further expected,” a ministry official said.
Tour operators have pointed out that other countries, which also include China, also face these challenges and have said that the tourist traffic is unlikely to further suffer even as the city continued to battle its worst smog in 17 years.
“Currently, sight-seeing in capital is one of the major problems but tourists have been coming. We have not received any of the cancellations or even any enquiries about the pollution levels in Delhi from the foreign tourists,” Pranav Sarkar, president of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), said.
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Delhi government has issued a health advisory
The Delhi government on Monday has also issued a health advisory asking the people to further avoid highly- polluted areas and cautioned those with asthma and lung ailments to stay indoors.
This announcement came on a day when the administration has put into effect a number of measures, which include the halting of construction and demolition activities, starting the process of deregistering 15-year-old diesel vehicles and further imposing a ban on the use of firecrackers.
The local people have expressed their concern over this dangerous smog on Twitter, with some announcing plans of further moving out their families from Delhi due to the concerns over their health.
However, some tour operators have also warned that if the situation does not further improve tourists could stop coming to Delhi that would further boast of monuments like the Humayun’s Tomb, Red Fort and Qutub Minar.
