Why Do Indians Hate Traveling?!
By Janhavi Desai
on Jul 27, 2016
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Okay, maybe hate is too big a word, but the amount of convincing it takes for a slight nod of approval to go abroad makes those Indians who have traveled the world, wonder why are we so scared to get out of our comfort zone? For Indians some places have always been unchartered territories. While statistics show 37% want to cut back on travel and not go abroad on holiday. The real question is why? Why aren’t we trying to breakout and become world class travellers like the Americans or the Europeans?
It’s not just one or two reasons, the list can go on endlessly but here’s the gist of it!
Paisa Paisa Paisa
Image source: flickr/picturesofmoney
Of course the first thing that springs to our mind is, money. People have to slog to save enough to travel, the rupee is constantly devalued, and there is also that voice that have been passed on generations to generations "paisa save karo, Pappu ke shaadi ke liye, Pappu ka education ke iye, Pappu ka ghar ke liye..” and so on. The question on going on holiday is outrageous to a few, but we always pass an opportunity to go abroad and instead happily invest in gold.
Roti, Sabzi And Dal?
Diet is a major and understandable issue, vegetarians are extremely apprehensive about eating anything in a different country because it may say vegetables but it is boiled in a beef broth but even the non-vegetarians are a bit worried too. So instead of coming up with solutions like carrying some more infamous theplas or ready to make packets and learn how to order the right thing, we think it is too much of an inconvenience and we close the door of opportunity immediately.
Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll
Image source: flickr/alanlight
We are extremely conservative, values have been instilled in us and opening our eyes to a very different culture can be daunting, but we have to understand that the lifestyle they live abroad do not affect us and most definitely doesn’t affect them. Sure, it’s a bit uncomfortable but there is more to foreigners than their openness towards smoking, drinking and partying.
Visa, Passport, Tickets, Bookings....Pickle
We travel as if we are going to war, we need to get our logistics so on point or we absolutely cannot proceed. Yes, a visa is every Indian’s nightmare and yes it is time consuming but if we can throw the most extravagant shaadi with top notch planning, what is a tiny trip of 5 days getting you down for? We have all the apps, travel agents and chotu’s in the world to carry it out for us. So, let’s try to give it a shot?
We Are Family!
Image source: ndtv
With so many festivals and shaadis coming up,we tend to club them in such a strategic manner we put chanakya to shame. Making enough time to spend with our loved one’s. Either we travel to them or they come down to us. So that holiday in Greece will just have to hold until your entire family is married and you’ve spent at least 10 rounds of Tirupati/vaishno devi together.
Darna Manna Hai
If you go solo "mummy dar jayegi”, if you go in a family group "mummy ko ghar ka bahut yaad ayegi” There is no in between my friends. Plus the constant fear of dealing with sasuma’s mood swings or food swings is scary enough as the "maine bola tha” when you lose your luggage at the airport.
Speak English?
We are masterminds of dumb-charades, yet we can’t put across what we are trying to say delicately without yelling or we stick to the game so well, we could be dying and still not ask for help because we are just too shy. We have to understand that they don’t speak our language and we don’t speak theirs, instead of explaining the best way possible we are almost accusing them of not trying to understand us on purpose. So we go back angry and well, no one wants to go after that now, do they?
After all of this, you’re absolutely inconvinced that you need to travel abroad, but how about traveling India? Prejudices remain the same of South Indians going to North and North Indians coming to the south. Funnily enough, all the reasons you don’t want to go international applies to a domestic level as well, language barriers, safety, food that’s a part of the life of travel. So whether you’re an Indian, American, European or whoever the only challenge you have is stepping out of your comfort zone, not your heritage.
Didn’t think we will leave you on such a sour note, right? The good news is there is a 44% rise in travel thanks to our fellow Gen X and the gorgeous backdrops in our bollywood movies, creating budding travel enthusiasts across the country that we are so proud of!
