Sir,

Apropos the news item titled “Shell out more to see Mysore Palace” in Star of Mysore dated Oct. 25.

Recently, my wife and I visited Bali on a ten-day trip, where we were taken aback by the steep prices right from the airport. Although we had been warned about the high costs, they exceeded our expectations.

Bali is home to numerous temples, often without a presiding deity. The largest complexes are only slightly bigger than our own Sri Venkateshwara Temple in Mysuru. Entry fees to each temple ranged from 100,000 to 150,000 Indonesian Rupiah (Rs. 550 to Rs.830).

Additionally, other attractions like beaches, volcanoes, Monkey Forest, and paddy fields charged entry fees between Rs. 120 and Rs. 830. We spent nearly Rs. 20,000 on entry fees alone, yet none of these places left a lasting impression.

Moreover, food prices rivalled those of our five-star hotels, and taxi fares were more than double what we pay here. I even paid Rs. 300 for a cup of curd!

We have visited other countries too, such as Sri Lanka and several in Europe and the Far East, where tourists are charged exorbitantly. This has often made us wonder why we don’t raise entry fees here to a comparable level and use the revenue to enhance our facilities.

Given this, I feel the authorities are entirely justified in raising entry fees, especially for foreign tourists. The Mysore Palace, being one of the finest in the country, will continue to attract visitors, local and international alike, who will not hesitate to pay a little more for the experience.

– Lt.Col. (Dr.) Y.N.I. Anand,  Kuvempunagar,  25.10.2024

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