India’s Tourism Industry Badly Affected due to Anti-CAA Protests

New Delhi, December 29, 2019:

The ongoing protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) have affected India’s tourism industry with at least seven countries issuing travel warnings to their respective citizens.

Due to the widespread agitation against the newly amended act, countries like the United States, United Kingdom, Russia, Israel, Singapore, Canada and Taiwan have issued travel advisories asking citizens to either avoid travelling to India or be cautious during their visit.

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Taj Mahal, which otherwise is among the most visited spot in India, has witnessed about 60 percent decline in footfalls in December. According to reports, about 200,000 domestic and international tourists cancelled or postponed their trips to the Taj Mahal.

Generally, the Taj Mahal attracts over 6.5 million tourists every year, thereby boosting the tourism sector and benefitting the luxury hotels and small scale as well as medium-scale businessmen. But this year, the tourism sector has slumped, reports suggest.

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Sikkim, another state in the northeastern region of the country, that attracts a huge number of tourists otherwise, is witnessing a lower number of visitors over the past three weeks.

Jayanta Malla Baruah, the head of the Assam Tourism Development Corporation, said that the state’s tourism is down by 90 percent due to the ongoing protests and travel advisories.

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It may be mentioned here that the CAA has triggered massive protests across the country. While the government is trying to quell the protests by organizing peace rallies in support of the new law, citizens are displaying an even stronger resistance against the CAA by taking out peaceful protest rallies opposing it.

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