Diu: Built by the Portuguese around 480 years ago, the Diu Fort, located on the east side of the beach town, is a major tourist attraction. The 16th-century fort attracts lakhs of tourists from across the country and around the world. Recently, the administration has imposed an entry fee for visitors. However, the implementation of the ticketing system, which only allows card payments, has caused a massive uproar.

The Diu administration has introduced a ticketing system for entry into the fort. Children have to pay Rs 75, Indian citizens above the age of 15 are being charged Rs 100, and foreign tourists need to pay Rs 200. This move has sparked questions among tourists. Many are unhappy with the facilities inside the fort and have raised concerns about the lack of drinking water after entry. But the major concern is that only visitors with debit (ATM) or credit cards can purchase tickets,  cash and UPI payments are not accepted, forcing several tourists to return without visiting the fort.

One tourist visiting the fort said, “We have come here from Ahmedabad. It is a beautiful fort to see, but the issue is that to buy the ticket, you have to pay by card only. Neither cash nor online UPI payment is accepted here. If you want to go inside, you can only pay by card. Many people who come to visit this place are from villages and only have cash or UPI. Such people are forced to return. Both cash and online payments should be allowed.”

Another businessman from Morbi said, “People don’t carry ATM cards all the time. Most of them use UPI. This is wrong. They should accept payments through Google Pay, Paytm, etc. The ticket fee is fine, but limiting payment to cards only should be stopped.”

Since Diu’s inclusion in the Smart City initiative, renovation work is underway at the fort, and now tourists from across the globe are being charged to visit the historic monument. DeshGujarat