top of page

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.)

Why is India Considered the Most Polluting Nation?

In the span of a few decades, India transformed from a clean, green country to a nation struggling under the weight of plastic pollution.

About 30–35 years ago, when I used to travel to a small town near Pune to visit my parents, the landscapes of almost all the villages and towns on the way were open, green, and clean. Vast stretches of grassland, dotted with a few trees and bushes, created a sense of calm and natural beauty. Those journeys were marked by freshness and simplicity, where nature still dominated the surroundings.


Gradually, however, the scenery began to change. Plastic bottles, polythene bags, and other waste materials slowly started appearing along the roadsides and in open fields. What was once an occasional sight has now become an alarming reality. Today, if you travel through the same landscapes, you are likely to be shocked by the extent of plastic litter covering them.


Tree branches now appear “decorated” with hanging polythene bags. Many more lie scattered on the ground, while some are seen ‘flying’ in the air, carried by the slightest breeze or a sudden whirlwind. Large and small plastic bottles, wrappers, and containers are spread everywhere, almost as if they are ‘adorning’ the landscape. The natural beauty has been replaced by an unsettling image of neglect and carelessness.


The situation in cities is no different. A few decades ago, even small and large cities were relatively free from plastic waste. Today, however, almost all cities in India have literally turned into “Plastic Cities,” where plastic litter has become a common and accepted sight.


Interestingly, although India tops the global list as the most plastic-polluting nation, its per capita plastic consumption and waste generation are much lower than in many other countries. For example, Belgium has the highest recorded per capita plastic waste generation, averaging 147.7 kg per person per year, followed by the USA and other high-income developed countries, including China. In comparison, India generates only about 11 kg of plastic waste per person per year. By this measure, India ranks almost at the bottom globally.


This naturally raises an important question: if our per capita plastic waste generation is so low, why is India considered the most plastic-polluting country?


The answer lies in multiple systemic challenges. The first and most critical is the lack of proper infrastructure to collect, segregate, and process plastic waste efficiently. Segregation at the source of generation is the most essential step in waste management, and this is precisely where we lag far behind countries like Belgium and others.


As mentioned in my earlier articles, residents often dispose of unsegregated or mixed waste either along roadsides—leading to the formation of foul-smelling garbage heaps—or into municipal dustbins. These are then collected by the employees of urban local bodies, who themselves have limited facilities to deal with mixed waste effectively.


It has been observed that most towns and cities lack proper waste-processing plants with sanitary landfill sites. Instead, they follow crude and outdated methods such as dumping or landfilling mixed and unsegregated waste. There is a severe shortage of modern sanitary landfills and advanced recycling facilities across the country.


Another crucial missing link is the absence of Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) in most cities. An MRF is a dedicated facility where mixed or unsegregated, non-compostable solid waste can be temporarily stored and systematically sorted. It allows authorised agencies and the informal sector to segregate, recover, and recycle valuable materials before the remaining waste is sent for processing or disposal.


The establishment of MRFs is a vital step towards scientific and sustainable plastic waste management. Unfortunately, their absence in most urban centres continues to weaken India’s ability to handle plastic responsibly, turning a low per capita waste generator into one of the world’s most visible plastic polluters.

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


(The author is an environmentalist. Views Personal.)

Comments

bottom of page