Aditi devo bhava; Indians not bothered with over-tourism

Parisians grumble about it, Barcelona denizens have protested it, while places like Bhutan and Croatia have actual legislation in place to control it. The effect of over-tourism, and how it affects the locals when it all gets too much.

 

But when it comes to Indians, it seems the tenet of ‘Aditi devo bhava’ (The guest is like a god) scores over any perceived negative impact of the influx of tourists on the places where they live.

 

The latest edition of a global travel report reveals that 74% of Indian travellers feel that tourism has a positive impact overall on the place where they live.

 

Booking.com’s Sustainable Travel Report, in its 10th edition,  trained its lens on what is a raging topic in Western tourism hotspots – the impact of over-tourism and the resentment local communities have expressed.

 

This has resulted in overcrowding and increase in rentals as well as local costs, which can sometimes price many locals out. The issue had particularly hit headlines last season when protesters in Barcelona went around spraying water on visiting tourists in cafes and restaurants.

 

Places like Bhutan already have a sustainable development fee which tourists have to pay to enter the Himalayan kingdom, while cities from Dubai to Dubrovnik have taxes on tourists. Venice has a levy on daytrippers.

 

However, for most Indians, the arrival of more tourists is a good thing. While Indian travellers acknowledge challenges such as congestion and rising living costs, they also favour community investment—such as better infrastructure and environmental conservation—over limiting tourist numbers, reflecting their broader desire for culturally respectful, locally beneficial travel experiences.

 

43% of Indian travellers believe there is the right amount of tourism where they live. In fact, of Indians polled, just a quarter felt that capping the number of tourists in their home destination was the right solution. This is despite the fact that they felt tourism did incite challenges like traffic congestion (43%), overcrowding (40%), rising cost of living (36%) and littering (33%).

 

“It is encouraging to see the definition of sustainable travel expanding on both sides of the lens,” said Booking.com India country manager Santosh Kumar, “Travellers are increasingly seeing it not just as an environmental concern, but as something deeply connected to local communities.”

Tourism