Appalling. Disgraceful.

“Around the world, almost as

an unwritten rule, most bad

behaviour comes from feelings

of self-doubt and insecurity…”

— Debra Winger

I am not a frequent international traveller anymore. I count my blessed stars and thank my 33 million Gods for that exculpation. In the days that I did regularly travel overseas, I held my head up high, as 20-something I got there on my own steam, in most cases representing my country for some reason or the other. Come to think of it, everyone who travels abroad represents the nation, turning into India’s mirror and ambassador the moment they set foot on foreign soil. Of late, though, our people have not quite been warming the cockles of our hearts with their screwball rendition of Indian-ness.

From the moment some board international flights, they put chameleons to shame by changing colour, acting boorish and entitled. They get drunk enough to fly even without the aircraft, dance on public streets and go topless on snowy mountain-tops, steal in stores, indulge in illegal acts, double-park and jump traffic lights, stalk girls and children (some have been arrested for paedophilia). By doing so, they shame an entire nation on the global stage (see Box: ‘Shaming Us’).

What makes things worse is the ‘other India’. This India is on the rise, striving to be an economic superpower, a global IT hub, a youthful democracy and a nation with aspirations of taming the 21st century. As we stake claim to this Utopia, a counter-narrative is being acted out by our ‘ambassadors’, one airport gate and overseas selfie at a time. Who are they? They are average Indian travellers, driven by money and unchecked entitlement—‘specimens’ with a complete disregard for propriety.

Worldwide Mockery

From Dubai to Bali, Hanoi to Zurich, New York to Tokyo and Vienna to Pattaya, social media sites are swamped with tales of uncouth Indian tourists. Loud, unruly, untidy and infamous for stealing, stalking, brawling and acting in a vulgar manner, they are making a mockery of what India wants to stand for. Worse, their actions are not seen as isolated incidents, having become pervasive enough to create a stereotype that is hard to shake off. Every incident hurts India. This is not misbehaviour by a few individuals; it reverberates back home, turning us into spectacles of embarrassment. Worldwide, people are nodding their heads and agreeing—Indian travellers are loud, irresponsible and lawless. The shame is collective, the consequence national.

Families sitting in India and watching viral clips feel the sting—not shame for their loved ones, but a sense that their own are tarnishing the nation’s image. Social media commentary reads like a chorus of despondency. “Our country’s reputation is marred by this rowdy behaviour” is the common refrain. Some warn that every arrest and video is chipping away at India’s soft power, undermining the nation’s aspirations of garnering respect on the global stage through its growing economic and cultural might.

Travel agents lament how Indian flights to South-East Asian destinations are reporting rising incidents of passengers crowding aisles mid‑flight, eating and dancing, ignoring instructions in a display of total disregard for civility and aviation norms. Experts in tourism and cultural patterns say such conduct reflects personal upbringing and broader social norms. After all, when a nation’s travellers misbehave, they increase global focus on shortcomings in civic education—both in schools and homes.

The World is Speaking Up

The results of ‘vulgar behaviour’ by some are being felt on the ground. The US has warned that visa privileges will be revoked for offenders, followed by a life-long ban. In Europe, tourism boards are issuing guidelines specifically for visitors from India, outlining codes of conduct for public spaces and behaviour. The US has also issued an advisory to its citizens travelling to India, asking lady tourists not to travel alone. How shameful for a nation that regularly airs ads that claim ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’.

The fallout goes beyond shame. It affects how other travellers, such as students and professionals, are perceived in foreign lands. Misbehaviour by some is leading to suspicion on everyone. Indian students are already reporting shifts in some nations, including extra scrutiny by landlords, hesitant roommates and edgy library co-visitors. For students, the reputational damage is acute. They arrive eager to learn, contribute and achieve. They face wariness, mistrust and hostility.

Tourists who do behave respectfully are paying the price too—collateral damage. Students face hostile glances; courteous holidayers are grouped into negative stereotypes; Indians by birth, abroad by right, are judged because of in-the-headlines offenders. This has a deep impact; hostels in some varsities are scrapping rooms for Indian students or imposing heftier deposits and stricter rules.

Countries like Japan, South Korea and Germany value discipline, quiet and public spaces. When tourists violate norms, they are not just seen as bad guests, but as emissaries of nations that do not value order and dignity. Visa regimes are tightening. Local hostilities are rising. Students and professionals from India are being viewed with ‘pre-paid’ bias thanks to the behaviour of a few countrymen. Diaspora Indians, many of whom have worked hard to build their respect and credibility, are being tarred with the same brush. They are asked to explain the inexplicable—apologise for Indian behaviour.

Travel Firms are Peeved Too

Hospitality professionals, while polite, strongly second the social media roasting that India is receiving. “We love India, but not Indian tourists,” they say. Their statement is in direct correlation to the rising number of Indian travellers exhibiting shockingly low levels of cultural sensitivity and social restraint. Public drunkenness, brawls, confrontations with hotel staff, littering and offensive comments about women are not aberrations anymore—they are norms being yoked to the ‘Indian tourist’. Airlines are flagging passengers from India as ‘challenging’. Cabin crews report that many Indian flyers are drunk before boarding, refuse to follow instructions, demand unreasonable privileges and resort to shouting at the slightest provocation. There have been serious mid-air incidents involving Indian flyers, including a case of sexual harassment on a long-haul flight that triggered international outrage.

Local people in destination countries are increasingly complaining of Indian tourists trespassing into restricted areas, refusing to wait, fighting over restaurant tables and defacing property. Some hotels in Singapore and Malaysia are refusing Indian group bookings because of complaints from other guests about noise, food waste and the mess that’s left behind. The image of any nation is not forged only in diplomatic parlours and boardrooms; it is reflected in the conduct of its citizens. If the behaviour of our tourists is the yardstick, the new image being forged is one of dishonour, disrespect and disgrace.

Soliloquy: This is happening because some have newfound wealth to travel, but not the exposure to do so responsibly; for them, a ‘foreign trip’ is a post to flaunt on Instagram, with the trip being the spectacle, not a cultural exchange. For some, it is the lack of civic sense at home that travels with them; they are okay with spitting on the street, breaking queues, throwing trash anywhere and bribing their way out of trouble. Others lack the understanding of polite behaviour in another land and arrogantly refuse to adapt; they assume that their money can buy them not just service, but subservience as well. Finally, the absence of consequences for such acts back home in India manifests itself overseas too.

End of day, it is time for education and public campaigns, to sensitize our outbound travellers on how to conduct themselves. Maybe our schools and colleges can embed basic etiquette and cross-cultural behaviour into basic education—after all, cultural intelligence is as vital today as technical knowhow. As Indians increasingly travel for work, education and leisure, understanding how to carry themselves abroad is no longer optional; it is an imperative.

The world is opening its doors to India—economically, diplomatically, and socially. It would be tragic that some of our own end up slamming those doors shut with their rowdiness. Rather than allow them to become a national embarrassment, we need to act before the shame becomes irreversible.

The writer is a veteran journalist and communications specialist. He can be reached on [email protected]. Views expressed are personal