The Dual Rates for Tourists Visiting India Might Go!
(Enlagre the image to see the entry fee differentials at the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, India)An order issued by PM Manmohan Singh will put an end to the double-tariff regime seen by foreign tourists and even expatriates as an act of hurting discrimination.
For some time now, the Prime Minister’s Office has been receiving complaints from Indian missions abroad and through other channels about the discriminatory tariff regime that visiting foreigners are subjected to.
India is one of the few countries where a foreigner needs to pay more for checking into a hotel, air travel, subscribing to periodicals and even to visit historical monuments.
Labels: blogging
posted by Mridula at 11:29 AM
10 Comments:
I wonder if this is because someone has realised that not all visiting Indian citizens are living in India and paying Indian taxes. The usual justification for dual-pricing in the case of museums and cultural monuments (not only in India!) is that they are maintained out of State revenues, which locals have already paid through their taxes, so it makes sense for them not to have to pay as much as non citizens of the country concerned. Anyway, I'm sure foreign tourists will welcome it!
I think thats a good move if it becomes a single ttariff.
Suyog
I always used to wonder how the Govt used to get away with that. Absolutely no justification for it.
Qaminante, thanks a lot for your perspective, I thought this was an Indian phenomenon only!
Suyog and Deepak, I too feel it should go.
The dual rates are not without rhyme or reason.. The rates are otherwise ridiculously low and heavily subsidised which objectively speaking aren't in sync with anywhere else in the world.
If it has to go.. it shud be raised for Indians too.. otherwise I don't see any harm in the dual pricing... If it goes into maintaining the sites..
Hmm. I don't really know much about this dual pricing, but I don’t think that westerners should have too much trouble paying the extra money given the strength of England's pound, Europe's Euro, and the U.S. dollar.
It may not be fair, but it's understandable, especially if India's citizens already pay taxes for the upkeep of historic sights, preserves, museums, ect.
I personally wouldn’t resent the dual pricing as long as it was reasonable.
I didn't mind paying a little more because I really wanted to see the places we went to, but there were several we skipped because of the higher pricing for foreigners. One of the places with the most extreme difference in price was at the Taj Mahal where the price was Rs 25 for nationals and Rs 750 for foreigners. I've heard several people say they won't go to the Taj because of the price which is a shame because it's such an amazing place.
The other place was at the guesthouse at Nagarhole National Park. We were eventually given the lower price and the difference was Rs 3000 or $67 USD. At the foreigners price we were not going to stay because it was too expensive for us. As it was, it was a still a splurge, but it was the only room available at the park.
I don't think the tax argument really justifies the difference in pricing. We pay taxes on our national parks and monuments, too, but still have to pay the same entry fees as any one else in the world.
There were a few times, like at the Mysore Zoo, where the pricing was the same for everyone, which we really appreciated.
Personally I feel the rates should go, but Sumit for many Indians the fee is not so low!
JB, as Lily says, citizens pay taxes everywhere but many countries do not charge dual rates. I think the government can see the potential of tourism (though infrastructure needs to be built up fast) and can come up with a sensible uniform policy.
Lily, the aricle says there were a lot of protest coming in from different diplomatic channels. I agree, many people find the Taj pricing quite unfair.
I see no harm in having dual rates. The system of dual pricing exists in other parts of world too. have a look at the university fees of US or Aus there is a wide disparity b/w the fee structure of citizens and foreign nationals. And the answer u get if u ask for an expl is that this will be used for university research. Well in a cash strapped ( or may be corrupt ) system like us this arrangement is quite understandable and more over this does not hurt the foreign nationals whose economy are doign better than Indian one. Well for the rest sorry " we simply don't need you"
Karthik, thanks for sharing your thoughts. But I would say in the end "all are welcome" :)
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