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A British Indian tourist’s recent viral Reddit post has sparked heated discussions on social media. After spending three years traveling around India, the tourist referred to the country as an “expensive garbage,” criticizing its infrastructure and services, claiming they are inferior to those of some less prosperous nations.
The post has sparked debates about India’s appeal as a tourist destination, with users reflecting on the state of tourism. Many also reviewed Javed Akhtar’s previous comments and shared videos of his thoughts on similar topics.
In a now-deleted Reddit post, a 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, commenting: “The roads stink, the infrastructure is falling apart, every corner is riddled with filth and there is no civic sense out there – the poverty gap is staggering and is getting wider and wider. “It’s 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 too expensive a destination.”
Anand Sarkar highlighted the growing concerns raised by international partners and actors from countries such as the United Kingdom, the EU, Australia and the United States, questioning critical issues such as “air quality, general hygiene and cleanliness, the safety of women and chaotic and incoherent internal logistics”.
Sarkar explained that addressing these concerns consumes much of the time spent promoting India as a travel destination. He emphasized India’s declining reputation in global tourism, saying, “There is no more optimism or mystique – every potential inbound visitor watches the news and reads on social media.”
Discussing the impact on domestic tourism, Sarkar noted a shift in preferences as Indians increasingly choose international travel. “Most middle and upper-middle class domestic tourists are put off by high domestic air fares and costly local logistics,” he observed, adding that businesses catering to tourists with a daily budget of less than Rs 10,000 have seen a disappearance. its customer base over the last three years.
Sarkar also expressed frustration with policymakers, saying, “I don’t know why this crisis is not being taken seriously.” Despite these challenges, he noted that inbound tourism has yet to recover to pre-pandemic levels, and reputation and pricing issues continue 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 the rich cultural and historical heritage of India, mentioning iconic places like the Taj Mahal, palaces of Rajasthan, temples of South India, Ajanta Ellora and Khajuraho. He commented, “These things are here, we are born. We do not respect our heritage,” that is, “There are things like this here: broken. We don’t respect our heritage.”
The 79-year-old lyricist and screenwriter highlighted the untapped potential of tourism in India and said: “If we have adequate infrastructure for tourism, this country will only become richer thanks to tourism,” which translates to “If we had proper infrastructure for tourism, this country could become rich from tourism alone.”
