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While some netizens agree that Indian travellers need to fix their public etiquette, others lashed out at Western double standards and point to “outright racist” rules.
‘Our Civic Sense Needs An Upgrade’: Netizens Divided Over Harsh Goenka’s Viral Post On ‘Bad Desi Manners’ Abroad
What happens when an economy grows rapidly, but civic sense fails to catch up? Industrialist Harsh Goenka recently raised this uncomfortable question on X, igniting a massive online debate about how Indian travelers behave when visiting other countries.
Goenka shared an image of a real notice from Hotel Arc-en-ciel in Gstaad, Switzerland. The letter explicitly lists rules directed specifically at “guests from India,” asking them not to steal food from the breakfast buffet, to use the provided cutlery, and to stop shouting in the hotel corridors and balconies.
Disgusted by the notice and recent travel trends, Goenka wrote:
“A Swiss hotel once displayed a list of special rules exclusively for Indian guests which I personally saw and was appalled. Today, videos of garba in restaurants, loud conversations in airports, and turning aircraft cabins into picnic spots keep doing the rounds. Even in Davos, an Indian businessman blasted Punjabi music in a club so the whole town could hear it, calling it “soft power” but to everyone’s annoyance. Japan earned global admiration through their courtesy and civic sense. If India wants to be a true global superpower, the world should remember Indians for its excellence, consideration and respect for others. Our civic sense seriously needs to be upgraded.”
A Swiss hotel once displayed a list of special rules exclusively for Indian guests which I personally saw and was appalled.Today, videos of garba in restaurants, loud conversations in airports, and turning aircraft cabins into picnic spots keep doing the rounds. Even in Davos,… pic.twitter.com/ccljdLmDfk
— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) May 31, 2026
“The Most Despised Tourists”: The Internet Agrees
The post quickly went viral, with thousands of people sharing their own frustrating experiences. Many users expressed deep worry that a few loud, entitled travellers are completely destroying the hard-earned reputation of the entire country.
One user commented on the long-term damage this causes:
“So distressing to hear more and more reports coming in about careless and callous behaviour from Indians. We are becoming the most despised tourists that erases our enormous progress and negates our spending ability.”
Others pointed out that throwing money around does not hide a lack of basic manners. They blamed a newly rich culture fueled by loud movies for replacing traditional humility with arrogance: “We have always been a society of culture & traditions, wherein humility & respect for others are a given. This #Bollywood loud music & dance is unfortunately being imbibed by the young generation. Throwing money around is also the crass ill, which old wealth looks down upon…”
The Problem With “Public Places”
Many travellers noted that a large part of the problem comes from how a few bad actors view shared spaces. From blasting reels on phones to stealing items, some habits seem deeply ingrained: “Noticed that “public place” means everyone has right over it 🤦🏻♂️. Some one should tell them all that no one has rights over public places. No comments about stealing from buffet, that seems incurable unfortunately.”
Another person added that bad daily habits from home are simply being exported overseas: “Civic sense and Some Indians are two parallel lines which can never meet. If you observe same thing is being done here as well scrolling in loud volume,spitting wherever you like, list goes on”
Is Pride Turning Into Arrogance?
According to several users, the problem stems from a distorted sense of national pride, where people use “culture” as an excuse to cross lines and act out without any accountability: “It starts with humility and honesty. The last few generations have been taught to be extremely proud of their “culture and traditions” and be loud about it.”
Another traveller shared a firsthand account of the exact tricks some Indian groups pull in European destinations, along with the defensive, toxic mentality they use to justify it: “Swiss hotels hate tourists from India as they pack so many in one room slyly. Seen it myself, also they throw trash around and proudly say the looted us once now they clean after us . What’s with this mentality. I can go on and on of what they do when they come as guests here.”
A Thin Line Near Racism?
While the vast majority of commenters agreed with Harsh Goenka, a few users pushed back. They argued that targeting specific communities for their eating habits or cultural traditions can quickly cross the line into outright bias.
One user fiercely defended Indian customs while calling out Western hypocrisy: “Point number 2 is outright racist. Indians eat with their hands. If you have a problem with that, we have a problem with most Europeans (I said most) using paper to wipe their other ‘mouth’. Poop left over dangling outside your back orifice and raising a stink is unappetizing as well.”
Whether you view the hotel’s rules as a necessary reminder of public manners or a textbook case of Western elitism, Goenka’s post has clearly struck a raw nerve. It leaves India with a burning question to solve as its citizens travel further: How do we balance taking up space in the world while respecting the people around us?
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