NEW DELHI: Authorities have hiked fivefold ticket prices for Indian visitors to the Taj Mahal, in the latest attempt to lower tourist numbers and reduce damage at the country's top tourist site. Indians make up the majority of the Taj Mahal's 10,000-15,000 average daily visitors.

Nearly 6.5 million people marvelled at the white marble 17th-century masterpiece in 2016. An all-inclusive ticket for Indian citizens including entry into the Taj Mahal, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, was raised from 50 rupees ($0.70) to 250 rupees.

International tourists will pay roughly $19 to enter the UNESCO World Heritage complex in northern India, up from $16. The latest move comes only months after Indian authorities restricted the number of tourists to 40,000 per day. Previously up to 70,000 people would throng the site at weekends. - AFP