The global pandemic has completely battered the travel and tourism industry. While hotels and restaurants have suffered massive losses, photographers and guides are struggling hard to stay afloat. The pandemic did not spare the sought-after photographers at the Gateway of India too. With the lockdowns and lack of tourists, the photographers are hunting for other means to survive.
Photographers At Gateway Of India Are Struggling To Stay Afloat
The daily income of the photographers was completely dependent on the turnout of tourists who often get themselves pictured alongside the grand monument. However, with almost zero influx of outsiders to the city and the restrictions at tourist places, the photographers at the historic monument are struggling to stay afloat. Anand Mahindra Helps Struggling Gateway Of India Photographers By Supporting Fundraiser
The Second Wave Left No Hope Of Recovery
As reported by ANI, a photographer Manoj mentioned that their earnings have reduced to nil as compared to the pre-pandemic days. However, they started to see an uptick in their income with COVID-19 relaxations between October 2020 and January 2021. With the second wave, the photographers could not even recover from the losses they suffered in 2021 during the lockdown.
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Most Photographers Have Taken Up Other Jobs To Survive
There are about 400 photographers at the Gateway of India and Taj Hotel at Colaba who offer tourists a click with the backdrop of the iconic monument. Since the onset of the pandemic, about 100 photographers are left in the vicinity. The rest of them either moved to their native places or was compellled to take up other kind of jobs at construction sites, vegetable, and fruit markets.
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Let us all support the photographers by asking for a picture the next time we visit Mumbai’s Gateway of India.
First Published: July 05, 2021 12:57 PM