The Awful Indian tourist is a stereotype with some legs to it, and it is something every one of us with a passport should be minding. You hear from commentators that some places are putting up roadblocks because of the kind of behaviour on display. If you want to be made to feel welcome and have a good time when you are out of the country, specialists will tell you that some manners are in order.
Why your trip is down to etiquette these days
It’s not just the destinations; it is how you are put to. Be too loud, make a mess or show no respect for the way things are done and you put everyone in the vicinity on edge, from the people working in the hotel to the other guests.
You can see the friction in the usual haunts. There are stories of people being short-tempered on planes, buffets in disarray, and a lot of noise where there shouldn’t be any, be it at a heritage site or in nature. It is no fun for the rest of us and it does a number on India’s standing.
Don’t think you are alone in this
One country doesn’t have a monopoly on bad manners. The British lager lout has been a feature of European holidays for as long as anyone can remember. Then you have the Russians, who have been told off for being inconsiderate. And let’s not forget the Americans, Australians and Chinese, who have all had their share of criticism.
We have had the Ugly American in the back of our minds for 70 years, whether it was a diplomat with an attitude or a traveller with none. A nation’s clout only makes it so the few who act up can put a damper on the many who don’t.
Take a page from China
As China has put on weight on the world stage, so have its tourists, some of them new to the scene and not up on local ways. For a while, the press was full of it: people using airport lounges as a toilet, spitting, chiselling into old stones and butting in line.
Beijing didn’t sit on its hands. They put out some public service messages on how to behave and even have a way of making an example of those who cause trouble. India could do with a little of that, in a way that fits with our system.
On what is and isn’t ok, and how to put it right
We all know the pet peeves. It is the type of person who is on his feet before the plane is at the gate, or has a video on without earbuds, or is passing around food in the cabin. In a hotel, you might find a buffet in a state of disrepair or a room that has been trashed.
Then you go outside and it is worse. You have your rowdies at the beach or on a safari, and the noise and mayhem ruin the place for everyone. These are the things that stick with you and with a country’s name.
There are simple fixes, say the experts, to be in line with what is expected in most of the world. You have to be consistent, here and elsewhere:
– Don’t let aircraft rules be a suggestion
– Some order and cleanliness at the hotel buffet
– Let the monuments and safaris be
– Put in your earphones
– Wait for the plane to park before you stand up
– Make sure the room is left as you found it
Pride, access and a better way to see the world
Is it a holiday thing or does it run deeper? Hard to say, but the result is what counts. Countries are watching. When you don’t have the patience for a gate or a buffet, or you make a habit of breaking the rules, they take note.
And they are starting to put up some barriers, as you can read. It is the ones who are after a bit of notoriety who aren’t affected; it is the families, the students and the working folk who end up with a harder time of it.
A way for India to put things in order
The path is open. We need a change in culture, on the scale of what China has done with its own. Social media is a good way to put out a word of advice, or to put a spotlight on those who are doing it right.
But it has to start in our own backyard. We should be more of a hard case about conduct in our airports and hotels. Get used to it here and it will come naturally when you are in another country.
Where to from here
Make a change and you will see. A bit of common sense and you will be met with a warmer side of the world and less of a hassle. It is also a way to hold on to the Brainy Indian moniker we were once known for.
This is not about being preachy; it is about having a plan. With a video going round the web in seconds, good manners are like an upgrade to your visa. What is the use of a 5,000 year history if we can’t be civilised in the present?
We need to be purposeful, not pouty. Manners are a good thing to have. If we can learn from the hard knocks others have taken, we can put the Awful Indian to rest and have some first-rate trips on our hands.
