5 times desi tourists gave India a bad name, like those men in that Audi at Pangong Lake
Have you ever encountered annoying tourists when you were enjoying a peaceful vacation? The loud and huge group taking up the entire road as they walked, the rudely staring group of boys, or the littering family and others…
It is embarrassing that fellow tourists would behave in such an incorrigible manner. Here’s an incident that will make your blood boil.
A video went viral of a group of men driving an Audi through Ladakh’s pristine Pangong Lake. The video also shows a portable table placed in the Lake with alcohol bottles atop it.
I am sharing again an another shameful video . Such irresponsible tourists are killing ladakh . Do you know? Ladakh have a more than 350 birds species and lakes like pangong are the home of many bird species. Such act may have risked the habitat of many bird species. pic.twitter.com/ZuSExXovjp
— Jigmat Ladakhi ?? (@nontsay) April 9, 2022
Twitter blasted the tourists for their deplorable behaviour and for ruining the environment. Some even demanded the government take action against such people.
Should be identified and legal action be taken against them.
— Manu Khajuria ?? (@KhajuriaManu) April 11, 2022
Why are you polluting the lake with your car?
— T T Krishnan ثی ٹی کرشنن டி டி க்ரிஷ்ணன் (@ttkrishnan) April 11, 2022
But this is not the first time desi tourists have been a pain. Whether travelling at home or abroad, Indian tourists have earned the tag of being the worst lot (that tag is a constant tussle between us and neighbours China):
1. THE MEN ON THE CARIBBEAN CRUISE
Read how 1300 men employed with an Indian gutkha manufacturer ran amok on a cruise ship(Via @IndiaTodayFYI )https://t.co/0Uw69Pe5uE
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) October 4, 2018
In 2018, a large group of 1,300 Indian men turned the Caribbean cruise experience on the shores of an Australian beach a nightmare for all others. The men, employees of a gutkha manufacturing company, essentially took over the entire cruise, throwing massive parties with Bollywood item numbers and with dancing women dressed as playboy bunnies. However, their crass behaviour didn’t end there; as other tourists who were on the same cruise described their presence as uncomfortable. Some women said that the men would stare at them inappropriately and some even tried to film them without permission when they would take to the dance floor.
2. STEALING HOTEL AMENITIES
Why do Indians do this I just can’t understand. One shd maintain a certain kind of dignity n class ..What is this #Shame pic.twitter.com/VzmzqmZmVv
— ????? (@EmiraIylin) July 27, 2019
In 2019, an Indian family was caught by Hotel staff in Bali, Indonesia, for stealing EVERYTHING from their room, from electronics, towels, curtains, decorative items to hangers. Sure we all do take the toiletries like toothbrushes, shampoo or soap with us, which you're actually supposed to, but the tea kettle? The hairdryer? Too far and illegal.
3. MAN CLIMBS ATOP A RELIGIOUS SITE
Indians are very touchy about their religions and religious sites. But when they go on a vacation to other countries, they think it is absolutely okay to desecrate and disrespect other people’s religions and beliefs. An Indian man climbed atop a Buddhist religious site in Bhutan while trying to film a YouTube video. He was assisted by his fellow biker friends who were also on the trip. Isn’t it common sense to not do something like this?
4. SWISS HOTEL PUTS UP NOTICE FOR INDIAN TOURISTS
Reading this notice I felt angry, humiliated and wanted to protest. But a realisation dawned that we as tourists are loud, rude, not culturally sensitive. With India becoming an international power, our tourists are our best global ambassadors. Let’s work on changing our image! pic.twitter.com/7R4ZrZIXKi
— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) July 22, 2019
The chairman of a billion-dollar RPG Group conglomerate, Harsh Goenka posted on Twitter about a hotel in Gstaad in Switzerland putting up a notice especially addressing Indian tourists. The notice asked Indians not to steal food from the buffet and not to create an uncouth environment for other tourists. Goenka said that while it was humiliating to read something like that, he also understood where the hotel staff was coming from.
Indian tourists are notorious not just for stealing hotel amenities, but also stealing food. Why anyone would steal food is beyond me (not others, clearly)! They are also often accused of being loud in public gatherings, which can be a nuisance for others.
5. STEALING CARPETS
Another case- a hotel during routine repairs, found the carpet under the bed missing. It had been cut out. Over the next few weeks many such rooms were found . On checking, it was found that one particular crew member over a 6-7 month period had stayed in each such room.?
— Gul Panag (@GulPanag) July 28, 2019
Stealing from hotel rooms seems to be a favourite activity for Indian tourists. Indian actor Gul Panag recounted an instance where a hotel staff discovered while doing checks that the carpets from several rooms were cut out and stolen. It was discovered that a member of a crew had stayed in each of the rooms for a 6-7-month period.
These are not the only cases that were reported. We often come across litter almost everywhere in domestic tourist locations, from chips packets to plastic water bottles thrown out carelessly; then there are the pee buddies on every other side of the road and near protected tourist locations and of course, we can't forget the love doves carving their names on every 'historical' stone they can find.
In other cases, Indian men have been termed among the worst flyers in the world.
But of course, Indians are not the only nationality accused of being the worst travellers. For long, Americans and the Chinese have held the no 1 spot for being the most brazen travellers. Brits too are accused of misbehaviour once they down a few bottles of alcohol. Racism is another problem with travellers from the West.
Foreign tourists in various locations have also been arrested for a myriad of things from breaking million-dollar art and historical pieces while taking a selfie, to even killing an animal while photographing.