‘No civic sense, bad infrastructure’: British Indian traveler’s harsh words about India spark outrage online

A British Indian tourist’s post on Reddit recently sparked heated discussions on social media. After spending three years traveling through India, the tourist referred to the country as an “expensive dump”, criticizing its infrastructure and amenities, claiming they were inferior to those in some less wealthy countries.

The post sparked discussions about India’s attractiveness as a travel destination, as users pondered the state of tourism. Many also reviewed Javed Akhtar’s previous comments and shared videos of his thoughts on similar issues.

In a now-deleted Reddit post, one user detailed his three-year travel experience in India, which began during the height of the Covid pandemic. The user criticized various aspects of the country, saying: “The roads are bad, the infrastructure is crumbling, every other corner is full of filth, there’s no such thing as civic sense there – the poverty gap is staggering, and it’s becoming more expensive to live.”

The post resonated with many online, who expressed similar frustrations and agreed with the harsh criticism.

Anand Sarkar, a social entrepreneur in the tourism sector, shared the account on X and commented: “We have become an expensive dumping ground for the destination.”

Anand Sarkar highlighted the growing concerns raised by international partners and agents from countries such as the UK, EU, Australia and the USA, who question critical issues such as “air quality, sanitation and hygiene, women’s safety and chaotic, incoherent internal logistics”.

Sarkar explained that addressing these concerns takes up a lot of the time allocated to promoting India as a travel destination. Noting India’s declining reputation in global tourism, he said: “There is no optimism or ambiguity anymore – every potential visitor sees the news and reads on social media.”

Discussing the impact on domestic tourism, Sarkar noted a shift in preferences, with Indians increasingly opting for international flights. “Most middle- and upper-class domestic tourists are put off by high domestic airfare prices and expensive local logistics,” he noted, adding that companies catering to tourists with a daily budget of less than Rs 10,000 have seen their customer base disappear over the past three years.

Sarkar also expressed his frustration with political decision-makers, saying: “I am confused why this crisis is not being taken seriously.” Despite these challenges, he noted that domestic tourism has not yet recovered to pre-pandemic levels, with reputation and pricing issues continuing to hamper growth.

Meanwhile, an old video of Javed Akhtar discussing India’s untapped potential in tourism has resurfaced and gone viral, reigniting discussions on the topic.

In the resurfaced video, Javed Akhtar highlights India’s rich cultural and historical heritage, mentioning famous landmarks like the Taj Mahal, the palaces of Rajasthan, the temples of South India, Ajanta Ellora and Khajuraho. He pointed out, “Things like this are here, we were born. We have no respect for our heritage.” Meaning, “There are such things here – broken. We do not respect our heritage.”

The 79-year-old lyricist and screenwriter stressed on the untapped potential of tourism in India, saying: “If we have proper tourism infrastructure, this country will only become rich through tourism.” Which translates to, “If we had proper tourism infrastructure, this country could become rich from tourism alone.”