Aurangabad, March 11:
The tourism service providers sustained a shock after the district administration revised its previous order (dated March 7, 2021) regarding partial lockdown today. The order includes the closure of all tourists places and heritage sites in the district till April 4.
The news spread like wildfire in the industry circle. There were few visitors at each monument, but they had to return without seeing the heritage place as the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) personnel informed them about the monuments' closure. The disappointment prevailed as some visitors had travelled a distance of 100 km to reach Ajanta Caves, and some travelled for 28 km to see Ellora Caves.
Earlier, the district administration's old order mentioned complete lockdown on Saturdays and Sundays. As a result, the tourism associates were relieved that they could continue their services during the daytime. However, the decision taken on the evening of March 10 surprised all of them today. The tourism business and associates like guides, taxis, hotels, art and handicraft sellers etc will be affected by the closure of the monuments and tourism sites, claimed the experts.