Spectator by Seema Goswami: Why Indian tourists are hated abroad
I don’t think it will come as a massive surprise to anyone that Indians travelling abroad are among the most disliked tourists throughout the world. Our unpopularity extends all the way from America to Japan, taking in every European destination along the way. Even in popular holiday spots closer home like Bangkok, Singapore or even Dubai, the Ugly Indian Tourist is well hated.
And no, not all of this is down to racism — though I don’t deny that racism sometimes plays into it. It’s because most of us simply haven’t mastered the tasks of reading the rooms we are in and respecting cultural differences as we travel the world. As a result, half the time we end up offending people even without realising that we are doing it.
It’s for people like these that I have compiled the following list of all the things not to do when you are travelling abroad. You can always add your own little bit to it.
Learn to queue. I can’t stress this enough. You simply have to tamper down on your impatience (and your entitlement) and stay in line, whether you are checking in for a flight, paying for the items you bought at a department store, or in need of a toilet. No, don’t try and muscle in ahead hoping that everyone will be too polite to berate you. And yes, when you are in the queue, respect the personal space of the person in front of you. No standing so close that your belly rubs against their behind.
The only appropriate place for your feet is the floor. Don’t put your feet up in airport lounges, on trains and metros, or in public areas in hotels. It doesn’t matter if you have taken your shoes off. Nobody wants to see the bottoms of your feet (or smell them) when they are trying to eat a meal in a restaurant or just take a bus to get home.
You may be used to treating children as communal property in India, where parents are delighted if you interact with their kids even if you don’t know them. But most foreigners are far more attuned to stranger danger than we are in this country. And they will not take kindly to your pinching their child’s cheek, even if the gesture is accompanied by cries of “how cute!”. In fact, even making eye contact or engaging kids in conversation is considered to be an invasion of privacy. So just steer clear.
And then there is the question of just general good manners. Don’t listen to loud videos or watch movies in public places without headphones. Don’t use your outdoor voices in indoor places. And, for God’s sake, don’t break into song and dance at popular tourist spots just because you think you’re starring in your own Bollywood movie. All that herogiri will just mark you out as a villain!
