Travelling abroad is no longer a luxury reserved for a few Indians. It has become almost a rite of passage. But along with our passports stamps, we've also picked up an unfortunate reputation -- that of the 'ugly Indian tourist'.
International travel is having a moment for Indians. From Japan and South Korea to Switzerland and Bali, we're exploring the world like never before.
Unfortunately, so is one stereotype that refuses to pack its bags -- the loud, culturally clueless Indian tourist.
Whether it's viral videos of people breaking into an impromptu garba performance in a foreign country, shouting across otherwise silent trains in Japan or treating hotel buffets like they are a 'Buy one get five free' sale, Indian tourists have increasingly found themselves at the centre of Internet ridicule with cringe-worthy reels on social media racking up millions of views.
But here's where the conversation gets complicated. Not every criticism stems from bad behaviour and not every bad experience can be dismissed as racism.
Many Indian travellers have experienced blatant prejudice abroad, from being ignored in stores and restaurants to receiving poorer service simply because of the colour of their skin.
The Internet, too, seems far more forgiving when white influencers make content mocking India or reducing the country to its dirtiest corners than it is when brown creators post culturally tone-deaf travel reels. The double standards are hard to ignore.
At the same time, after speaking to frequent travellers, one thing became equally clear: While racism absolutely exists, some habits among Indian tourists genuinely don't do us any favours.
'We don't always read the room'
"One of my favourite reasons to travel abroad is the sense of peace," says Hasti Domadia, who has travelled extensively.
"Even in busy places, everyone is simply minding their own business. But every now and then, I notice that it's sometimes fellow Indians who end up creating the chaos by being unnecessarily loud. It often feels like we don't always read the room. We tend to behave the same way we do back home, without considering the culture or social norms of the place we're visiting."
The 'inside voice' seemed to be a recurring theme.
Rahul (name changed on request) who recently visited the Yosemite National Park in the US, recalls sitting inside a community cabin where people from across the world were quietly reading, working and relaxing.
"Then there was this group of three Indian guys. There was nothing wrong in talking but you could hear them from the other side of the cabin. There's a concept of an inside voice that many Indians simply don't learn."
A similar observation came from Srishti Ghosh, who travelled to Japan with her family.
"Japan, in particular, values calmness, order and consideration for others. During our trip, we repeatedly saw Indian tourists speaking loudly across food courts, calling out to each other from different floors in shopping malls and holding conversations at a volume that stood out in otherwise quiet public places."
As parents, Srishti says she and her husband consciously ensured their toddler didn't disturb fellow passengers, put her feet on seats or disrupt restaurants.
"Children will naturally be playful but it's also a parent's responsibility to teach them to respect shared spaces. Unfortunately, I often saw Indian families taking the attitude of 'They're just kids' without considering how their children's behaviour affected others."
Relax. The breakfast buffet isn't going anywhere
Another stereotype that cropped up repeatedly was our collective excitement over anything labelled complimentary.
Free cookies on a flight? Ask for another round.
Hotel breakfast? Grab a few extra muffins for later.
Hasti says she has often noticed people repeatedly asking cabin crew for complimentary snacks and cookies on flights. "It may seem harmless but it reflects poorly on us and also means the cabin crew has to keep making extra trips, which can come across as inconsiderate."
Meghna (name changed on request), who travelled to Switzerland last year, recalls watching fellow Indian tourists quietly packing breakfast buffet items into takeaway boxes before heading out for the day.
"Maybe a muffin or two, yes. But I actually saw people bringing boxes and loading them up with buffet food to take back."
Some years go, a Swiss hotel actually posted this, which probably proved humiliating for the well-behaved Indian tourist.
There's nothing wrong with enjoying what's included in your stay. But repeatedly pushing boundaries often leaves an impression that extends beyond the individual.
Queue? What queue?
Several travellers also pointed towards a habit that's unfortunately familiar at home as well -- queue jumping.
Whether it was boarding flights before their row was called, edging ahead at tourist attractions or expecting special treatment because they are travelling with children, many respondents felt we often carry our 'adjust kar lo' mentality overseas.
Srishti says she repeatedly notices people trying to skip queues at airports, attractions and boarding gates.
"I also noticed several parents assuming they deserved priority simply because they had children, even when everyone else around them was travelling with families too.
"Courtesy in public spaces isn't about demanding exceptions; it’s about recognising that everyone deserves the same consideration."
When a few people become everyone's reputation
Perhaps the most unfortunate consequence is that the actions of a handful often spill over onto everyone else.
Jyoti Pillai, who has travelled to seven countries, recalls an unpleasant experience on a flight from Thailand to Mumbai.
"During landing and take-off, a group of Indian uncles and aunties began shouting religious slogans. They were extremely loud and the other passengers, including non-Indians, were visibly uncomfortable."
She also believes being rude, undisciplined, creating chaos and leaving behind filth are behaviours she has repeatedly observed among some Indian tourists during her travels.
Kartik, meanwhile, remembers initially feeling discriminated against while visiting Bali.
He noticed that Indian guests weren't being allowed into a popular club without prior reservations while several foreign tourists appeared to walk in with ease.
"We already had a booking so we didn't have a problem. Initially, I thought it was racism."
But, moments later, he watched security escort two young Indian men out of the club after they allegedly harassed white women who were travelling with their husbands. According to Kartik, security intervened after complaints that the men had behaved inappropriately.
"It made me wonder whether policies like these came from repeated experiences rather than outright racism."
Similarly, during a transit in Vietnam, Srishti noticed airport security personnel appearing noticeably stricter with Indian passengers than with others.
"While that may feel unfair to well-behaved travellers, I couldn't help wondering whether repeated experiences with poorly-behaved passengers had shaped those interactions. It's unfortunate because the actions of a few often end up affecting how an entire nationality is perceived."
The Hindi sign in Japan
Some observations weren't dramatic. They were simply just uncomfortable.
A Reddit user named skull73XD shared a photograph from inside a washroom at a Japanese museum. Alongside Japanese instructions asking visitors to flush used toilet paper was another translation in Hindi.
Whether the sign existed because of repeated incidents or simply because a large number of Indian tourists visited the museum is impossible to know. But seeing your language singled out for a basic civic reminder is, at the very least, a moment of uncomfortable introspection.
The passport is blue but you're representing the Tricolour
Here's the thing: Indians aren't uniquely bad tourists.
Every nationality has its cliches. Brits have a reputation for drunken holidays. Americans are often stereotyped as loud. Chinese tour groups have long faced criticism in parts of Europe.
What's different is that Indians are travelling abroad in greater numbers every year. Greater visibility naturally brings greater scrutiny and, in the age of social media, one viral video can reinforce a stereotype overnight.
That doesn't excuse racism, poor service or prejudiced assumptions. No traveller deserves to be treated differently because of their nationality or colour of their skin. But it also doesn't mean we should dismiss every criticism as bias.
As Hasti puts it, "One of the things I love most about India is how warm, expressive and comfortable we are with one another. But when we are guests in someone else's country, I believe we also have a responsibility to respect how people live there. Adapting to local customs isn't about losing your identity, it's simply an act of respect."
Whether we like it or not, every time we step off a plane, we're not just representing ourselves. We're representing 1.4 billion people.
The passport may be blue but everywhere we go, we are representing the Tricolour. And how we conduct ourselves shapes the impression people take home -- not just of us, but of an entire country.
So yes, collect the passport stamps. Buy the fridge magnets. Splurge on the duty-free chocolates.
But don't forget the best souvenir we can leave behind-- the reputation of being the kind of tourist every country is happy to welcome back.
