The Taj Mahal in Agra is India's most iconic monument and a temple to eternal love. Built between 1632 and 1653 AD by Shahjahan, the 5th Mughal Emperor of the Mughal Dynasty, it took 21 years and 32 crore rupees to complete this embodiment of pure devotion and affection. Since its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983, the Taj Mahal has received numerous accolades.

The best time to visit Agra for a Taj Mahal trip is between October and December, and February to March. The temperate and agreeable weather makes this the best time of year to see the Taj Mahal. The best time of day to visit the Taj Mahal in Agra is around sunrise, when the sun's rays kiss and tint it pink.

The Blog comprises of a discussion about the external and the internal environment of the scenario of the Indian tourism sector for generating healthy revenue in the Indian economy. The discussion holds evidence of the Taj Mahal as one of the significant aspects of tourism sectors to boost the tourism sector of India based on diversified strategies in the competitive landscape around the globe. To promote the Indian tourism sector in the competitive landscape, Taj Mahal has a strong link with the Indian tourism sector, making a huge contribution to cultural exchange and heritage conservation.

Discussion of the Wider Business Environment of Taj Mahal

Political

Government rules and regulations are the driving force in India that influences the operational activities in the Indian tourism sector. It has been found that the Visa rules influence foreign tourist arrivals (Roy et al., 2020). Moreover, political stability is one of the major factors that play a vital role in projecting a favourable image of the Indian hospitality sector. This factor determines the safety and friendly tourism destination in India. Political turmoil as well as security challenges in specific locations affects the visitor's engagement. It poses a threat to the profit generation procedure of Indian tourism. Bilateral ties with other countries, diplomatic tensions and disagreements affect the arrival of visitors from certain regions at the Taj Mahal.

Economic

Economic factors are responsible for influencing the scenario of the Indian hospitality sector. According to the report published by The Hindu (2024), India's general economic growth is 8.4% in 2024, which reflects the good condition of the Indian economy. This factor influences the hospitality sector and the stakeholders involved with it. The consumer engagement rate is also depending on the economic factor in the Indian hospitality sector.

Figure 1: Employment rate in India (Source: Statista, 2023)

Moreover, exchange rates are also responsible for controlling the cost of expeditions for overseas tourists. It poses a threat to the Indian hospitality sector. Fluctuations in currency exchange rates are responsible for increasing the expenses for foreign visitors. According to the report published by Statista (2023), the unemployment rate in India will be 7.38% in 2024. This factor highlights the key issue in affording expensive tourism in the Indian market. It increases the opportunities for visitors who want to visit the Taj Mahal. 

Social

India is rich in cultural legacy, religious diversity as well as thriving customs. All these factors make it an attractive location for cultural as well as heritage tourism. Considering this, tourist spots like the Taj Mahal, Varanasi, and so on increase the beauty of the place. Kaushal and Srivastava (2020) explained that the cultural diversity of the place makes the place more suitable for tourists. Festivities in India increase tourist attractions by providing immersing glimpses into India's social fabric. Considering this, changing lifestyles as well as different food items influence the travel patterns of the country. Based on this factor, it can be stated this factor brings opportunity for the tourism industry.

Technological

This is one of the driving forces for the evaluation of the Indian tourism sector. It helps in reshaping the tourist's plans, books as well as experience. Lew et al. (2020) stated that India is now emphasising its technological development and helps in providing travellers with real-time information, navigation assistance as well as a personalised recommendation during the trips. Moreover, the adoption of digital marketing helps in increasing the visibility of the sector immensely. Based on this factor it can be stated that this factor is an opportunity for the industry. It brings the opportunity for the Taj Mahal authority to manage the crowd of visitors.  

Legal

Sofi et al. (2020) explained that legal issues are responsible for controlling the Indian tourism industry. Compliance with regulatory standards is one of the major factors that safeguard the safety, security as well as well-being of tourists. Considering this, the regulatory framework is one of the key aspects in this case that governs the operational activities of tourist firms. However, sometimes the laws and regulatory compliance create difficulties for the Indian hospitality sector to protect the Taj Mahal.

Environmental

According to the report published by Statista (2024), the air pollution rate in India is 96%. Considering this hospitality sector is one of the leading factors responsible for creating environmental pollution. This becomes necessary for the Indian hospitality sector to maintain a sustainable approach. It has been found that the Taj Mahal is being affected due to pollution, which must be protected.  

Links with Local and Natural Resources

Local and natural resources have a huge contribution to the Indian hospitality sector. Considering this, the Taj Mahal is made of marble, which attracts the attention of visitors to the availability of Indian marble. This factor increases the tourist's attention to the Rajasthan to explore the local resources. Kumar and Shekhar (2020) explained that India is a culturally diverse country and different parts of India have specific attractions. Considering this, the cultural heritage and quality of Agra attracts tourists through producing textiles, and souvenirs sold to the visitors. The natural beauty and greenery of India attracts tourists (Goel, Sharma and Kashiramka, 2020). It has been found that the Taj Mahal consists of greenery that enhances the appeal to attract tourist attractions. Local cousins and food items are the major attractions of tourists in India. The variety of cousins is the major attraction of visitors in India bringing the opportunity to grow the Indian hospitality market rapidly. In this context, the wider business environment around Taj Mahal includes socio-economic-cultural factor as the driving force for shaping the experiences of the tourists from the core.

About the Size of the Industry

The tourism industry is one of the vast sectors that encompass various aspects to lure the maximum influx of customers based on diversified strategies around the globe. The sector plays a crucial role in getting a boost in the economies of the country creating a lot of employment opportunities in the competitive landscape. The figure of Statista perceives that the overall revenue of the tourism sector is estimated to grow by about $3.97 at an annual rate of 3.47% by the end of the year 2024 (Statista, 2024). The diversified integrations of the technological factors also increase the growth of the revenue in the tourism sector making abrupt changes in the economic aspect of the country. The sustainability of the tourism sector is highly linked with the employment opportunities as well as the profitability of this sector to promote employability in this Indian Tourism Sector. The employment opportunities in the tourism industry are linked with creating the output from this industry. Hotels, airlines, tour companies, travel agencies, museums, state and national parks, and cruise lines are all included in this category. These sectors only serve visitors and exist mainly because of their presence. The lodging and transportation industries are two of the most important ones in tourism. A diversified workforce is needed for lodging establishments including hotels, hostels, and guesthouses (Baum and Hai, 2019). This workforce includes teams from cleaning and culinary services to experienced managers and financial operators. Similar to this, a large number of specialists are employed by transportation services, such as airlines and other travel agencies, who help ensure that passengers have a flawless experience (Robinson et al., 2019).

Figure 2: Tourism Industry and Employment from 2019 to 2033

(Source: Statista, 2023)

From the above statistics, it is evident that, due to COVID-19. The employability is decreased and during the post COVID period, the employment rate is again developed in this booming industry due to the implementation of technological advancements. Machine learning provides speedy answers to client inquiries, and artificial intelligence (AI) plays a significant role in enhancing the customer experience. Airports are now utilizing AI technologies to improve security and shorten wait times. In the near future, personalised content for in-flight entertainment and AI-powered airports that enable travellers to easily pass security checks without putting down their luggage will be standardized. The tourism sector is already experiencing disruptions from robotics and voice technology. In-room voice-activated gadgets help guests with weather updates, restaurant recommendations, and traffic information (Rashideh, 2020). AI robots are already present in some hotels, assisting customers with check-in without requiring human assistance. Airports have also been experimenting with various kinds of robots, such as self-driving baggage carts, robots for cleaning, and robots that can respond to inquiries from travellers about boarding gates and flight schedules. In this blog, Taj Mahal is considered as the target tourism place that draws a large number of a huge number of tourists due to interior as well as exterior designs along with the tomb, garden and others. 

Figure 3: Number of Tourists in different tourist places in Agra including the Taj Mahal

(Source: Statista, 2022)

Figure 3 states that the highest number of tourists in the Taj Mahal among different tourist places in Agra and this is possible due to its unique sculptures model. 

Explanation of the Linkages with Tourism

The Indian tourism industry is significantly getting a boost with an enhancement of the customer influx that contributes significantly to the growth of the revenue of the Indian economy in the competitive landscape.

Figure 4: The growth of tourism sites in India (Source: Statista, 2024)

The Taj Mahal is one of the most iconic monuments among international and national visitors to make a significant impact on the tourism sector with 0.8 million international tourists and 5.7 million domestic tourists in the competitive industry of the tourism sector (Statista, 2019). The impact has drawn the attention of various tourists around the globe, which added significance from the historical point of view. The Taj Mahal is the epitome of the rich Indian culture that represents the legacy of the country with many insights about the historical points of India making immense contributions to the growth of the revenue of the tourism sector of India. As argued by Chauhan (2022), the revenue from the ticket sales purchase of souvenirs and accommodation contributes to the growth of revenue in the tourism sector of India. Further, the influx of the tourism sector creates employment opportunities in the country making diversified avenues in the competitive landscape of the tourism sector.

As argued by Chauhan (2022), to promote employability in the Indian tourism industry, the sustainability of that sector is highly dependent on the generation of employment opportunities to increase profitability. The creation of employment opportunities in the tourism sector is linked to the production of outputs in this sector. The presence of the Taj Mahal boosts the development of the infrastructure in the adjacent areas of Agra with a significant contribution to the employment opportunities of the local inhabitants. The figure of Statista witnesses that the revenue of the ticket amount generates more than 3.3 million in the financial year 2022(Statista, 2024). T Tajmahal is also acclaimed by UNESCO as a world heritage site. The impact has attracted the attention of a wide range of tourists from all over the world, which adds significance to its historical context.

Taj Mahal has deep linkages with the tourism sector of India making immense contributions to cultural exchange and heritage conservation exclusively for the promotion of the Indian tourism sector in the competitive landscape. As cited by Chauhan (2022), Taj Mahal emerges as one of the timeless beauties of cultural significance to contribute to generating a healthy projection of revenue in the tourism sector making a healthy projection of the diverse strategies in the competitive landscape making an immense contribution to generate the revenue generations in the tourism sector of India.

Impact and Contribution of Indian Tourism to the Economy

Figure 2: Visitors in Taj Mahal

(Source: Statista, 2022)

It can be stated that the Indian tourism has been responsible for contributing approximately $178 billion to India's GDP (Statista, 2024). It can be stated that there has been a significant rise in domestic travelling as India portrays rich culture, ancient monuments, and natural beauty, for instance, the Taj Mahal in Agra. The Taj Mahal in Agra seems to be the most visited monument in India, which has attracted both foreign and domestic tourists. From the figure above, it has been found that Taj Mahal has become the most visited ticketed monument wherein there have been about 3.3 million visitors in financial year 2022.

According to Radhakrishnan and Nihalani (2022), statistical data has revealed that the Taj Mahal’s revenue collection might see a considerable decrease of 73% from FY20 to FY22 owing to the pandemic restrictions. However, this tourist remained the most visited place and the earnings seemed to be more than five times more than those of any landmark were. Furthermore, owing to the greater visits of overseas tourists Taj Mahal’s earnings have been higher in comparison to other spots (Yadav and Mohsin Qureshi, 2021). There has been an improvement in foreign visitor visits amounting to almost four lakh by May 2022, which indicates a steady rise from the pandemic lows. Thus, it can be stated that the influx of tourists who are visiting on an increasing basis has led to a significant contribution to the local economy through the process of spending on accommodation, food and transportation. This kind of spending has benefitted a wide range of businesses and individuals in the region. Taj Mahal has been nominated as a famous UNESCO world heritage site in correspondence to Shah Jahan’s wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

It can be stated that tourism is an essential component that helps create employment opportunities surrounding developing countries like India where unemployment rates are often high. It has been found the tourism industry revolving around the Taj Mahal has turned out to be a huge source of employment (The Economic Times, 2017). There is a huge accumulation of local residents developing opportunities in different sectors. This includes hospitality, transportation, tour guides, and handicrafts surrounding the area of the Taj Mahal. Thus, there has been a surge in the overall economic well-being of the community that has lowered unemployment as well considering the huge demand for skilled and unskilled labour in these areas. Furthermore, Indian tourism has the prospect of inducing a profound influence on the social, cultural, and political landscape of destination areas like the Taj Mahal.

Figure 6: Some famous handicrafts to buy in Taj Mahal Agra

(Source: Travelog India, 2024)

It has been found that travellers have been bringing physical mementoes serving as tokens from the trip to the Taj Mahal, which has led to an increase in sales by purchasing local arts and crafts (Travelog India, 2024). Thus, these kinds of souvenir exchanges have helped to serve as symbols of cross-cultural exchange. This has underlined a greater understanding of the regional heritage wherein this kind of interaction has established the act of fostering appreciation and understanding of other cultures.

Figure 7: Growth of domestic visitors

(Source: Dreambig Travel, 2024)

The above figure declares that there has been a considerable amount of growth in domestic visitors during the period of 2021-2022 in the Taj Mahal, which has highlighted several potential implications for entrepreneurship (Dreambig Travel, 2024). The act of increasing visitors outlines the demand for lodging options in the vicinity. Thus, there has been an emergence of new hotels, guesthouses, and homestays, which has presented opportunities for entrepreneurs in the hospitality sector. 

Slowly after the pandemic, there has been a 161.5% growth in visitors to the Taj Mahal, which has made the Indian government, and entrepreneurs make private investments in infrastructure development to ease the accommodation of the increased foot traffic (Dreambig Travel, 2024). There have been improvements to transportation networks, parking facilities, sanitation facilities, and other amenities. Thus, entrepreneurs are now being able to potentially to capitalise on these infrastructure projects considering their participation in construction, maintenance, or service provision contracts. It can therefore be stated that there has been a positive impact on the Indian economy by providing an alternative source of income and employment that has led to a more balanced and resilient economy.

Conclusion

The Blog concludes with an examination of the Indian tourism sector's scenario to generate sustainable revenue in the Indian economy, with a view to both the External and Internal Environment. This discussion has analysed the role of the Taj Mahal as one of the important aspects of tourism in terms of promoting India's tourist sector through a variety of competitive strategies across the globe. The monument of the Taj Mahal, representing India's rich culture and its history, provides a great deal of information on historical points that have played an important role in helping to boost tourism receipts at competitive levels.