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By:

Naresh Kamath

5 November 2024 at 5:30:38 am

Indian Tourists Need a Reputation Reset

India has long taken pride in the philosophy of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ - the belief that guests deserve warmth, respect and dignity. It is an idea deeply woven into the country’s cultural imagination, often been projected as a defining Indian value. As millions of Indians travel overseas every year, the conduct of a small but highly visible section of Indian tourists is increasingly shaping how India itself is perceived abroad. The issue is not about a single incident or a handful of viral...

Indian Tourists Need a Reputation Reset

India has long taken pride in the philosophy of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ - the belief that guests deserve warmth, respect and dignity. It is an idea deeply woven into the country’s cultural imagination, often been projected as a defining Indian value. As millions of Indians travel overseas every year, the conduct of a small but highly visible section of Indian tourists is increasingly shaping how India itself is perceived abroad. The issue is not about a single incident or a handful of viral videos but a pattern that is drawing notice from hotels, tourism operators and local authorities across the world. The debate gained fresh momentum after reports emerged of a Swiss hotel issuing a notice specifically addressed to Indian guests. The advisory reportedly requested guests not to pack food from breakfast buffets for later consumption and reminded them to maintain silence in corridors and balconies. Hotels routinely issue guidelines. But when a particular nationality becomes the subject of a specific advisory, it inevitably raises larger questions about perception. “It is a sorry state of affairs. Indians, especially in groups, are displaying atrocious behaviour. This was anyway bound to happen,” says Subhash Motwani, founder of Namaste Tourism. Embarrassing Incidents Whether the notice was justified is another separate matter. The question is why such perceptions are emerging in the first place. Recent months have seen several incidents involving Indian tourists gain traction on social media. One widely circulated video showed travellers performing garba on an airport tarmac in Vietnam. Garba is among India’s most vibrant cultural traditions and a source of immense pride for millions. Yet airports are highly regulated spaces where safety protocols and discipline take precedence over celebration. The incident became symbolic of a larger problem. The rise of social media has encouraged some travellers to treat foreign destinations as stages for content creation. Public dancing, loud celebrations, disruptive behaviour and attention-seeking stunts may generate views and engagement online, but they can also leave lasting impressions on locals and fellow tourists. India is hardly the first country to confront such a challenge. During the 1950s and 1960s, American tourists acquired a reputation for arrogance abroad, giving rise to the phrase “Ugly American.” Britain spent decades dealing with the international embarrassment caused by football hooliganism. China faced similar concerns as outbound tourism surged during the early years of the twenty-first century. A nation’s image is shaped not just by its economic achievements and diplomatic influence but also by the behaviour of its citizens overseas. India today finds itself in a similar situation. Indian tourists are now among the most visible traveller groups across Europe, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. This is, in many ways, a remarkable success story. However, with visibility comes responsibility. Hospitality professionals across destinations frequently point to recurring concerns. Excessive noise, queue-jumping, disregard for local regulations, overcrowding hotel rooms and attempts to bypass established rules through jugaad are among the complaints often cited. Collectively, repeated experiences can create lasting perceptions. The most revealing aspect of the debate is that Indian travellers often display exemplary discipline in countries known for strict law enforcement. In destinations such as Singapore, the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, compliance with rules is generally high. Complaints tend to emerge more frequently in places perceived as relaxed or lenient. That suggests the challenge is not one of awareness. Most travellers understand the rules perfectly well. The problem is often a mindset that rules can be negotiated when consequences appear unlikely. Changing that mindset is far more important than introducing additional regulations or issuing fresh advisories. Every interaction at an airport, hotel, restaurant, tourist attraction or public transport system contributes to how a country is viewed. These everyday encounters often shape perceptions more powerfully than government campaigns or tourism advertisements. As India stakes its claim to a larger role in the world, its citizens must recognise that national prestige is shaped not only by economic achievements and diplomatic successes, but also by everyday behaviour abroad. The overwhelming majority of Indian tourists travel responsibly and leave behind positive impressions. Their conduct rarely becomes news because courtesy seldom goes viral. Yet a handful of highly visible incidents can overshadow thousands of positive experiences. The challenge is to encourage responsible travel and a greater awareness that behaviour abroad carries consequences beyond the individual. The conduct of Indian citizens overseas should reflect the confidence and values of a nation seeking not merely recognition but enduring respect. (The writer is a senior journalist based in Mumbai. Views personal.)

Plastic’s Deadly Toll on Whales and Dolphins

The ocean’s giants are being killed not only by ghost nets but also by invisible microplastics rising through the food chain.

Last week, we traced how floating plastic waste is swept into five major oceanic gyres – the North Pacific, South Pacific, North Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Indian Ocean gyres – where it accumulates in vast offshore zones. This week, we turn to the largest and most notorious of them all: the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, located within the North Pacific Gyre between Hawaii and California.


This vast accumulation zone is estimated to cover roughly 1.6 million square kilometres — an area larger than the combined landmass of all the states of South India, West India and parts of Central India. Its sheer size makes it one of the most disturbing symbols of the global plastic crisis.


The patch is formed within the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, a massive system of rotating ocean currents that acts like a slow-moving whirlpool. These currents draw floating debris inward and trap it in a relatively stable, low-energy central zone, allowing plastic waste to build up over time instead of dispersing.


According to a 2022 study by scientists at The Ocean Cleanup Foundation, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch contains around 100,000 tonnes of plastic — roughly the weight of 700 Boeing 777 aircraft. Researchers estimate that it holds nearly 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic, ranging from tiny fragments to large discarded objects, much of which is carried there by currents from different parts of the world.


Almost 94 per cent of those pieces are microplastics. Yet by weight, about 92 per cent of the total mass consists of larger debris such as fishing gear. Nearly 46 per cent of the waste is made up of abandoned or lost fishing nets, often called “ghost nets”, which continue to entangle and kill marine life long after they have been discarded.


Poisoned Waters

The ocean is perhaps the most vulnerable environment when it comes to plastic waste. Once plastic enters the sea, it respects no boundaries and can travel vast distances across the world’s waters.


We already know that plastic can persist in the environment for years without fully breaking down. But in the ocean, waves, currents and storms gradually batter it into smaller fragments, until many pieces become tinier than a grain of sand.


These tiny particles, known as microplastics, are now among the most serious forms of pollution in both water and on land. Because they are so small, they are easily swallowed by marine organisms and can move through the food chain.


It is estimated that plastic pollution in the oceans kills more than 100,000 marine mammals, reptiles and other animals every year. Plastic harms marine species in many ways — through entanglement, injury, ingestion and toxic contamination.


One of the most critical factors is the size of the plastic. Large items can trap or wound animals, while smaller fragments and microplastics can be ingested by different species, causing damage over time in less visible but equally dangerous ways.


Marine Life Toll

Whales and other marine mammals are especially vulnerable to plastic pollution, particularly entanglement in ghost fishing gear. These abandoned or lost nets continue to trap and kill long after they are discarded.


An estimated 300,000 whales, dolphins and porpoises die every year after becoming entangled in ghost gear. For many, escape is impossible. They may drown, suffer deep injuries, or weaken slowly over time.


Marine mammals are also affected in another alarming way — by ingesting plastic, either directly or indirectly through the ocean’s complex food chains and food webs.


A recent study led by marine biologists at Stanford University found that blue whales, the largest animals on Earth, may consume around 10 million pieces of microplastic every day. In some cases, that amounts to as much as 95 pounds daily.


Surprisingly, these whales do not ingest most of these plastics directly from the surrounding water. Instead, much of it comes from the krill — tiny shrimp-like creatures that form their primary food. And that raises an unsettling question: where do the krill get the microplastics from? From the same polluted marine ecosystem that is now contaminating life at every level.


More on this in my next article. Till then, have a great weekend!

(The author is an environmentalist. Views Personal.)

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