By Brij Khandelwal

Agra, Jan 20 (IANS): The lifting of the ban on the number of flights to Agra and the construction of a new air terminal building has brought cheer to the Agra tourism industry which now feels the real "achche din" have come.

Industry leaders say that the number of tourists arriving directly to Agra from major cities in India and international flights is set to see a big boom in the coming months.

Presently Agra has Indigo flights to Bangalore, Ahemadabad, Bhopal, Lucknow, and Mumbai.

"Once the new terminal building coming up near Dhanuali becomes operational, tourists' footfall will see a huge upturn. The hospitality industry which has been badly hit since 2020 due to the pandemic, could see a big boost," says senior hotelier Sandeep Arora.

The apex court has now modified its earlier order which put restrictions on the new air terminal and the number of flights, till surveys for air pollution safety were conducted.

The Kheria airport in Agra has limited operations as it is an air force base. Civilian mobility is restricted. This causes a lot of inconvenience and hassles for incoming tourists. "But now the scenario is likely to change for the better," says tourist guide Ved Gautam.

Ahead of the G20 meet in Agra, from February 10 to 12, the whole city is being dressed up and spruced for more than 300 visiting dignitaries. The airport will see a lot of activity, for which arrangements are being made.

The 10 km stretch from the airport to the Taj Mahal and from the hotels on Fatehabad road to the Etmauddaula tomb across the river Yamuna, hundreds of workers are busy painting, cleaning and carrying out repair and civil work on both sides of the roads.

The Yogi Adityanath government is leaving no stone unturned to present the best possible profile of the state, for which additional funds have been provided to the Agra Municipal Corporation.

"The dry and polluted Yamuna remains a huge worry but steps are being taken to release fresh water from the upstream barrages," an official said.