After British Indian tourist slams India for lack of civic sense, internet agrees: 'An overpriced dump of a destination'
A recent viral Reddit post by a British Indian tourist criticising the country's infrastructure and rising costs has sparked discussion on social, with social entrepreneur Anand Sarkar echoing these concerns, lamenting India's deteriorating tourism reputation and urging policymakers to address the crisis.
A recent viral Reddit post by a British Indian tourist has sparked widespread debate on social media. After traveling across India for three years, the tourist described the country as an "overpriced dump," criticising its infrastructure and facilities as worse than those in some poorer countries. This has led to numerous discussions about India's current status as a travel destination, with many even sharing old videos of Javed Akhtar's views on the matter.
In a now-deleted viral Reddit post, a user shared their three-year journey across India, which began during the peak of the Covid pandemic. They described their experience by saying, "The roads suck, the infrastructure is crumbling, every other corner is riddled with filth, and there is no such thing as civic sense out there ¨C the poverty gap is astounding, and it's becoming more expensive to live."
Many online users echoed the same sentiments, agreeing with the post's harsh critique.
Anand Sarkar, a social entrepreneur who works in the tourism industry, reposted the account on X, stating, "We have become an overpriced dump of a destination."
I am part of the tourism industry and have been vociferously saying this for the last 2+ years - we have become an overpriced dump of a destination.
¡ª Anand Sankar (@kalapian_) December 19, 2024
Every single agent/partner of ours in the UK, EU, Australia & USA has the following questions - air quality, general hygiene &¡ pic.twitter.com/C1B6mZYuUL
'Haven't seen the reputation of India in tourism as low as this'
According to Sarkar, every partner and agent from countries like the UK, EU, Australia, and the USA is raising the same troubling questions: "Air quality, general hygiene & cleanliness, women's safety & incoherent chaotic internal logistics."
He explains that much of the time spent with potential tourists is consumed by trying to answer these issues, rather than promoting India as a destination.
Sarkar expressed that, in his experience, the reputation of India in the global tourism market has never been lower. "There is no optimism and mystique anymore ¨C every potential inbound visitor is seeing the news and reading on social media," he noted, emphasising how these negative perceptions are affecting tourism.
He further revealed the impact of these issues on domestic tourism, explaining that Indians themselves are opting for overseas trips, leaving only the luxury segment of the market somewhat stable. "Majorly middle & upper middle class domestic tourists are put off by high domestic airfares and expensive local logistics," he remarked, adding that businesses catering to tourists spending under Rs 10k daily have seen their clientele disappear over the last three years.
Sarkar also voiced his frustration with policymakers, stating, "I am at a loss why this crisis is not being taken seriously."
He highlighted that inbound tourism numbers have yet to surpass pre-pandemic levels, noting the ongoing reputation and price issues the country faces.
Country could become wealthy just from tourism, says Javed Akhtar
An older clip of Javed Akhtar discussing India's potential as a tourist destination has also gone viral.
Javed Akhtar was so right about Indian tourism last year on lallantop interview. We can make a huge industry out of tourism pic.twitter.com/q2Y9xeR2PL
¡ª Chirag Barjatya (@chiragbarjatyaa) December 20, 2024
In the video, he shares how India has the Taj Mahal, the palaces of Rajasthan, the temples of South India, Ajanta Ellora, Khajuraho, and many other treasures: "Aisi aisi cheeze hai yahan - toote hue. Hume apne dharohar ki izzat nahi hai." (There are such things here ¨C broken. We don't respect our heritage.)
The 79-year-old screenwriter and lyricist further reflected, "Humare paas agar proper infrastructure ho tourism ke liye, toh yeh mulk sirf tourism pe ameer ho jaaye." (If we had proper infrastructure for tourism, this country could become wealthy just from tourism.)
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