Rajasthan, Kerala backwaters eclipse Taj as dream destination

CHECK YOUR ACT: The survey warned that the Agra "townscape lies in utter neglect" and environment is not cared for.

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New Delhi: Rajasthan with its royal forts and palaces amid the sand dunes and the beautiful backwaters of Kerala have eclipsed India's iconic Taj Mahal in an international survey that rated the world's top 133 tourist places.

The survey, conducted by National Geographic Society's Center for Sustainable Destinations, has appeared in the latest issue of Traveler magazine.

While Rajasthan is considered the world's 19th dream destination, the backwaters of Kerala have been rated 23rd.

The Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri together have found 30th place in the survey.

One of the panelists has opined that Rajasthan is India's Tuscany, a region in North-Central Italy known for its landscapes and its artistic legacy.

According to the survey, Rajasthan has a "strong sense of cultural identity" and "remarkable appeal and mystique".

However, the survey expressed its concern about the tourism benefits not reaching the local communities.

"Improved tourist facilities fuelled an eight-point jump from five years ago, though concerns remain that tourism benefits are not reaching local communities," it said.

The lakes, rivers and canals in the southern Indian state of Kerala, "on which visitors ply aboard houseboats, present a unique travel and cultural experience".

However, the survey said "the number of boats is not so large" that environmental degradation is feared.

The survey said, Agra, the host of three iconic World Heritage sites - Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri - is "in dire need of environmental planning".

"Things are getting better for these historic sites mainly through the hard efforts of local heritage protection activists."

But the survey warned that the "townscape lies in utter neglect".