Need to study why tourists skip visiting Fort

- Will the joint efforts by tourism stake holders to promote the destination yield any result?

Rafique Aziz

Aurangabad, Sept 26:

The conical-shaped Daulatabad (Devgiri) Fort is standing tall since past many centuries. It is one of the important heritage in the cluster of monuments. However, the decline in the flow of domestic tourists by 50 per cent or more compared to the rush at world heritage Ellora Caves has become a matter of grave concern and a topic of study for the tourism stake holders (including government officials).

A whiff of new air emerged after the state tourism minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha recently announced of re-introducing the fort to the tourism world to ensure that it is not skipped by visitors in the circuit of heritage monuments. The questions to undertake for study includes why tourists skip visiting the fort or majority of them winds up their visit from Rang Mahal (a landmark on Fort campus) and how to increase the

footfall ?

Photo stop for major tourists

According to a tourism expert, " As per present itinerary Aurangabad is promoted all over the country and abroad as two-days and one night destination. One day is for seeing Ajanta Caves and second day visit

covers Ellora Caves, Daulatabad Fort and local sight-seeing like Bibi ka Maqbara and Panchakki. Day II journey starts at 9 am, but for majority of tourists visiting Fort is a photo stop for them. They will explore the cluster of landmarks (Bharatmata Temple, Chand Minar, Cannon Gallery etc) and returns after taking few snaps. While remaining tourists rush to visit Ellora Caves and express to see the site while returning to the city. It is observed that the tact is done to preserve energy and stamina required while seeing the caves. However, the return journey resumes after having lunch and the mood is to relax due to exhaustness, they avoid to get down of the vehicle and hence skip visiting the Fort telling that they will see it next time. Now, the ASI has introduced electric vehicles at the caves (from August) so the energy required to explore the again uneven surfaced caves-site will not get wasted and the fort may see good days in the near future."

We are true to our salt

A senior guide Deepak Arak said," The domestic or international visitors arriving through packaged tours are the ones who skip visiting the Fort in large number. Their tour is of fixed days/nights and their focus is on seeing Ajanta Caves and Ellora Caves and leave the city by air on second day evening. Hence they just have a glance and move forward towards Ellora. Atleast four hours are needed to explore the Fort campus. Generally, the uneven surface makes the ageing visitors tired. On other hand, the defence mechanism of the Fort remains interesting till the maze (Bhul Bhulaiyya) and then they avoid climbing up till the vertex and rush to visit Ellora. We explain the importance of each place to them, but we had to act as per their wishes. The foreigners avoid visiting Fort due to drop in climate and green vegetation in monsoon and winter, while the domestic tourists hesitates in climbing up the fort till the edge to avoid sweating during summer season."

Re-design packaged tour is need of the hour

The president of Aurangabad Tourism Development Foundation (ATDF) Jaswant Singh said," True, it is a matter of grave concern for all of us as 10 pc foreigners and around 50 pc domestic skip visiting the Fort. The ageing guides and travel agents are also responsible for it to an extent. Irrespective of age, they should be proactive in promoting the Fort (although it consumes times). The tour packages designed by the national and international level agencies should be redesigned so that the tourist could spend one more day in the city and explore the tourism to its fullest capacity. Besides, it will give a push to our local economy and new lease of life to the struggling tourism industry in post pandemic situation.”