Behaviour of Tourists in India

Brigit

Hi This is mean in really nice way. I think its a really important subject, which I don't see being talked about enough in people planing to travel to India.
I live in a Holy Hindu city, which is forever getting scandlized by something todo with the actions of Torists, and Local lads who want to be from the west. We also have problems with Boys/men comeing from other areas just because they know Pushkar is a good place to pick up girls.
I was wondering what people's oppinions are on how this has come about.
I love Pushkar but there are big problems with the tourist culture there, so I want to find out more about all this.
Sorry bit of a rant hope it makes sense

Ok To clarafy I guess mean how much do people think about how their behaviour will effect other travlers and Indians Idea of the countrys they come from?

skinnylatte

I don't think there's such a thing as a "general" type of tourist behaviour. It really depends on what kind of tourist you area talking about: Korean? Japanese? Israeli? American? British? German? Even then there isn't a specific kind of behaviour any one nationality/group will display...

Maybe what you are referring to are those travelers who are rowdy, dress inappropriately, have no clue about local customs, and just come to India to drink beer, smoke joints and bhang.. but these people are everywhere. I don't know how it's come to this, probably just that hordes of people from the First World come to India, and find their weekly pocket money can last them months.

Speaking of holy cities, I was in Varanasi recently and had bad experiences with some locals. Just walking along the ghats, my friend and I were harassed - eveteased if you will - by 3 Varanasi men (at separate times). We were just 2 Asian girls dressed in salwar kameez, minding our own business, but apparently they think of foreign=loose. I'd like foreigners to behave themselves, but sometimes the locals also should do the same.

Brigit

Skinny: Your exspirance is classic. So many westerners have acted in a way that tells Indian boys that they can treat them rather like they would a niceish Whore. This isn't just because of peoples behavour its also because of TV's representation of the west (I should say 1st world countries)

skinnylatte

I understand what you mean — however, as an Asian myself from similarly strict culture (I'm Chinese) — I have to object.

How does a woman's behaviour in any way, EVER justify misbehaviour on the part of the males? We're not talking about girls dressed in "whorish clothes" (if there's such a thing) and baiting men. We're talking about girls just walking with each other, having to fend off men ALL the time, for no apparent reason. It is a deplorable state that many female travelers have found themselves in, and I'm convinced, usually not because of anything they have done. What is it about Indian boys (disclaimer: all of my boyfriends have been Indian boys, although Singaporean Indian boys) that makes them think they can take liberties just like that? In my own Asian country, and many other Asian countries I have been in, I have seen no such thing.

I know how easy it is for us Asians to blame all our troubles on "decadence of the 1st world". I just don't buy it. Surely even if one judges another culture to be less moral (which is bullshit, IMHO), that doesn't give one the right to harass, molest, or rape. It certainly does not vindicate that sort of behaviour.

Perhaps other Indians and foreigners would like to share their views.

Brigit

Skinny I do agree that the way Indian men can treat femail traverlers is deplorable. Don't get me wrong on that. I want to change it, after all I plan for my children to grow up in India. Thats why I'm trying to understand where this attertude comes from.
What I was refering to in prevous post when I said that some people have encoraged the indian thinking of western girls being whores was not girls clothing, I was tryingto be nice. I was thinking of the girls who come to india and go through so many boys we'd call then the town bike in england.
No its not just that, it's also they don't understand this consept of not just makeing a relationship work. It really makes the nice ones so sad for westerners.
Oh I really hope people don't take any of this wrong
I'm just really intreaged how people feel about ways to behave in India, what they think Indians need to learn to except what westerners need not to do... that kind of stuff

Nick-H

Most English girls that want to behave like this would be paying much less air fare and arriving at a Meditteranean resort: Sun, Sand, Sea and Sex as such holidays are known. Do many come to India? I rather doubt it, or at least I wouldn't expect to see them away from the charter flight destinations.

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rangers

You opnion and feelings are very true Brigit and the attitudes of tourists to India is as diverse as India itself.At times even it is scary to help a tourist in trouble specially If he or she is drunk and dunno waht to do.You may land up in Police custody.Like this there are many effects of tourism on specially holy places as the one I live (PURI).
Being a beach side town few just take it on as Goa as mistake.
It is nice to see the love of tourists with locals in to a relation like Marriage.As oppsite you too also know many innocent guys are in jail languishing in the frame of friendhip.Something very wrong in communication perhaps.
And yes few loose tourists and 3rd grade englisg movies ( I guess u understand what I mean) spoils the mind of local strretsmarts.They behave stupid at times at girls.
So the problem is multifaced and varied.
Therefore perhaps the new generation of treavelers choose
PEOPLE2PEOLE TOURISM or RESPONSIBLE TOURISM facts.
It serves as a indicator and a brief capsulecourse on the country u are visiting and the regards to it.
I hope we should have one like that in INDIAMIKE too.
But without throwing mud at eachother plz.
smiles
sanjay

Sama

unfortunately, common sense isn't too common anymore, and people act like fools wherever one goes in the world.

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skinnylatte

That is true. I wasn't of the opinion that many western girls came to India for sex. At least even if they did, it was with other westerners.

Mangogirl

Hi Brigit and every one else!
I know what you mean. Pushkar is one of my favourite places in India although I haven't been there for 6 years. There are signs everywhere telling tourists not to kiss in public, to dress up and so on. And still so many tourists ignore it. It's very disrespectful!
I feel sorry for the people living there and also for the tourists that, like myself, behave in a good way. How hard can it be to cover up your self?
Mangogirl

Steve

Tourists are just like any other people, not better, not worse. Just because they visit India doesn´t mean, that they behave better than at home.
On the other hand I see some indian people (especially middleclass men) who behave just as bad as some of the misbehaving tourists. They treat their own people like shit.

I didn´t like Pushkar because of the amount of tourists, especially the ones that stay for a long period.
I had the impression, that they thought they wore something better and that they had more rights than others.

But it´s better, that those kind of tourists stay in their Ghettos in some places like Pushkar and Goa instead of spreading all over the place.

Don´t get me wrong - I´ve met many nice long staying people in India (I had spent quite some time there, myself), but quite a few of them are quite arrogant and nasty!

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greenchutney

how small is singapore? what kind of authoritarian system does it have? what is the enforcement system like>? if we had a tiny weeny state like that..which could fit in a suburb of bombay, hey we could whip some of these eve-teasing idiots!...

there are all kinds of folks here, there is a high population density here, there are lot of uneducated and unemployed people here..not that education necessarily has to do with this behaviour!.. also you have been in the tourist circuit as well where are touts, louts what not.

the TV and movies have some blame on their part..for what stereotype they have propagated of a western woman...also men 'admire' [for lack of better word..brain fart this morning..dont pick on this] women in various scales/ways..it becomes a problem when it goes to these levels, grope, rape and what not..and that happens in every society. some of the problems can also be explained by strictness in the upbringing and/or lack of moral values from it and its a complex issue since there is so much diversity. unfortunately some of these incidents will rise with skewed gender ratios, and a transitional society on speed (that india is in at the moment)..it will take a while to reach a equilibrium..

greenchutney

all tourists dont read LP or come to forums like IM before they come to india..some of them do think its like going to europe or maybe thailand...and they behave like that...well...unfortunately that has some side effects~..some of is justifiable, some of it aint. and with increasing connectivity and cheap air fares...and incidents such as some of you have mentioned will increase for some time till they settle down statistically...or we get a saudi style dictatorship...put all women in black robes head to toe, cut the tongue of any eve-teaser, chop chop on the rapist..i can go on...

MeCasa

I generally ignore these types of conversations but I find it humorous that you blame so many of your problems on the west, man up and accept some responsibility.

And I mean that in a nice way of course

greenchutney

and when we see mobs rule as we saw in bombay this week for really a weird incident..and what we saw in bangalore not too long where..where a death of film star, there were riots...burning buses and what not...all i say skinnylatte...we need someone like lee kuan yew~...for a significant number of population here [and i would alternate between the educated and illiterate ], democracy is not an answer.....

but the question is...can he [lee] manage [lead, enforce what not] a group of one billion like he did for few million and especially this diverse?