Dollars no good for the Taj Mahal

[JODO 2]

Dollars no good for the Taj Mahal

By Jyotsna Singh

BBC News, Delhi

Foreign tourists to many of India's most famous landmarks will no longer be able to pay the entrance fee in dollars, the government says.

The ruling is aimed at safeguarding tourism revenues following the recent falls in the dollar.

Until now, foreign tourists to sites such at the Taj Mahal have had the option of paying in dollars or rupees.

The ruling will affect nearly 120 sites of interest run by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Of these, at least 27 are World Heritage sites, including the Taj Mahal.

'International practices'

The ruling is due to be implemented next week. Entrance fees to the sites in question will be either 250 rupees ($6.35) or 100 rupees ($2.54).

"These rates have been fixed in line with international practices, and in order to take care of the fluctuation in the dollar rates," a spokesman for the Ministry of Tourism told the BBC.

Officials say the ministry wanted to act fast so that the revenues are not hit.

Indians only pay 20 or 10 rupees to enter ASI sites, a difference often questioned by foreign tourists.

But officials say there is nothing wrong with this because most Indians earn far less than the foreign visitors.

"The uniform rate applied by most foreign countries are often too high for most Indians anyway," the tourism ministry official told the BBC .

However, the Indian government has also decided that nationals from the regional South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation will not have to pay the higher rate.

Nor will people holding a government-issued People of Indian Origin (PIO) card. India earned more than $6.5m in foreign exchange from more than four million foreign tourists to the country last year.

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/7098370.stm

Published: 2007/11/16 16:15:19 GMT

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Who spends US dollars in a foreign country? Change your money you rube. Learn a little of the language too.

[JODO 2]

Who spends US dollars in a foreign country?

Sometimes when I am in Egypt, I give out "tips" in dollars. I do that because all those small notes in LE seem silly to give people 20 pounds. At least I know hey I gave them a dollar and have not insulted anyone.

[Amby 490]

I've never used dollars in a foreign country...why not change your money to the country's?

[LiszyandKenny 5]

would rupees or any other kind of currency be accepted in the US ? duh !!

[JODO 2]

I've never used dollars in a foreign country...why not change your money to the country's?

When I travel in Europe, the Caribbean sure I always exchange my money. But when I'm in Egypt I use the local pound AND dollars. Mainly these are simple tips and from my understanding most workers there in tourism perfer to be paid in Euros/Dollars. Although now they may just prefer Euros. The Dollar gets basically 6 to 1 to the Egyptian pound, so when I give a "bathroom attendant" say $2, that person has 12le. It is overpaying for sure,but to give someone what I would think is 15 cents in their money seems a little insulting to me.

Edited November 17, 2007 by JODO

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Nor will people holding a government-issued People of Indian Origin (PIO) card. India earned more than $6.5m in foreign exchange from more than four million foreign tourists to the country last year.

Actually, it is quite easy for US/UK/Canada citizens of Indian origin to get around the higher fees WITHOUT a PIO or OIC card:

• having an India-based relative pay for the admission ticket (note: this technique has long been used to get lower airfares on internal flights, though this lower fare also means lower baggage-allowance)
• NOT showing ID (even though vehicle ownership has gone up in recent years, it is still safe to assume that the majority of urban Indians--and an even larger majority of rural--do not own vehicles, and have not travelled outside the country)

[Donna A 4]

even my husband doesnt change his money to syrian pounds when he goes to syria. the dollar is accepted so why bother.

[Marc and Olga 0]

If I go to Mexico, I don't change my money into Pesos but for my trip to Russia I changed it to Rubles.

[Sister Fracas 5]

Seems common sense...I wouldn't have thought to try to get in the Taj with dollars... I think there was only one time when someone who had done some kind of service, like carry a bag or something, specifically asked for dollars...so sure I gave a dollar then instead of rupees. But everyone else got rupees. I wouldn't think to try to pay with anything anywhere else than America with dollars...

[Nikita2Charles 32]

It's quite common in India, When I 1st went there a few years ago, i found out about this thing pretty quick, so when i go somewhere, my coworker would get me the ticket. Or if i Travel, I let them make the hotel reservation because there's an INDIAN RATE and a FOREIGNER rate. So I stayed at some really nice hotel that way without having to pay a fortune, sometimes you do get that look from the concierge when they realized that you are not India, but reservation, and money has already been booked.

ON one try with Air Sahara, my colleague next to me was paying $80 less for the EXACT TICKET< bought AT THE SAME TIME. So you have to learn the system and get your way around, there's this cheap airline called Air Deccan they charged everybody the same rate, hmmm maybe because i signed up to be a member. it's like flying southwest, no thrill airline but you get there in 1 piece with a good deal.