E-ticketing may be reducing tourist footfall at Srirangapatna, Somanathpur

Among other things, procuring an e-ticket necessitates submission of details of an ID card, which has to be produced at the entry gate for verification. This also makes booking an e-ticket for groups a cumbersome process, especially for tourists from the rural hinterland who do not always carry ID cards

Is the e-ticketing system at some of the monuments under the jurisdiction of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) hampering tourists instead of increasing footfall?

The concept of e-ticketing was introduced to reduce the drudgery of standing in a queue and saving time, besides minimise human contact, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic

However, if local stakeholders are to be believed, the concept has had a negative impact on tourist traffic.

There should have been an increase in tourist footfall to ticketed monuments like Dariya Daulat at Srirangapatna in Mandya district and Keshava temple at Somnathapur in Mysuru district, especially during the peak tourism season coinciding with summer holidays.

Instead, there is an approximately 25% drop in visitors, as they are forced to return without gaining entry to the tourist attraction. Locals, including licensed guides, attribute the trend to the online e-ticketing system for entry to monuments. The e-ticketing system is managed by the ASI.

A case in point is the Dariya Daulat Bagh, which is the summer palace of Tipu Sultan at Srirangapatna, which is a ticketed monument. The monument attracts about 5,000 visitors on weekends, and around 3,000 visitors o=on weekdays. During the pre-Covid-19-pandemic times, the monument would receive around 8,000 visitors during vacations.

Though tourist footfall is gaining traction ever since the unlocking, almost 30% return without seeing the popular attraction due to issues with procuring tickets online, or e-ticket.