Watch: Indian tourists' Garba performance in Austria goes viral– for all the wrong reasons
A video from Austria has caused a buzz back in India– not because of the usual visa issues or travel expenses, but because of how some tourists behaved. A group of Indian travellers were seen in a clip asking street performers in Austria to play Indian music so they could dance Garba.
What they meant as a fun and friendly gesture ended up sparking a bigger discussion online about how tourists should behave abroad, respect others' space, and ask for permission before getting involved in public performances.
Street musicians hesitated, but the group persisted
In the now-viral Instagram video, a woman from the group talks about how they asked two local musicians in Austria to play Indian songs. The group, said to include 43 Gujarati-Marwari tourists, wanted to do a Garba dance right in the middle of a public street.
The woman filming the video says, 'Have you ever thought of playing Garba in Europe? Well, I had and now I can tick it off the bucket list.'
She also admits in the clip that the musicians were reluctant and expressed concern about potential warnings from the police. Despite that, the group continued insisting. 'We weren't ready to leave without doing Garba,' she adds. The video ends with the group dancing around the performers, while locals and passersby look on.
'We don't even do this randomly in India'
The online reaction came quickly– and most of it was negative. Many people, especially fellow Gujaratis, were upset and felt the group had shown a lack of basic manners. One of the most shared comments said: 'I am a Gujju and love garba, but I'm sorry. I just don't get the obsession with doing it on foreign streets and being proud of something. I mean, we don't even do that in India on a random day and random street!'
Another wrote, 'I'm a Gujju, and you guys really need to stop this nonsense of playing garba anywhere, anytime.'
The incident resonated with many Indians who have been worried for a while about how Indian tourists are seen in other countries.
'This is the reason foreigners hate Indians'
Some even pointed out how such actions reinforce negative stereotypes about Indian travellers. A flight attendant shared her own experience in a blunt comment: 'This is the reason foreigners hate Indians! As a flight attendant people often come to me & ask me only one question about Indians & that is, 'Why you Indians are so demanding', and now I know why they have mentality like this about us. I mean, come on… Why do you even have to force them to play Indian music?'
Another added, 'Is this something to be proud of? They were uncomfortable, but still you made them do this?? No wonder why Indians are not respected abroad!'
Not the first, but a recurring concern
This isn't the first time Indian tourists have faced criticism for behaviour that some see as disrespectful in other countries.
There have been past incidents, like playing loud music in peaceful areas or ignoring local rules, and similar patterns have been seen in different travel spots around the world.
While dancing and celebrating are a big part of Indian culture, critics say it's important to be aware of the setting– especially when you're in another country, where public spaces and social norms may be very different.
A reminder for mindful tourism
One social media user summed it up aptly: 'This is just embarrassing and the precise reason why Indian tourists get a bad name.
Being obsessed with doing this and being forced to do this on foreign soil is just plain ridiculous. Even in India, nobody does this randomly. Please think of other Indian tourists when you do such stuff.'
As more Indians travel around the world, there's also a growing need to travel with respect and sensitivity. Not everything needs to be shared on Instagram– and sometimes, it's better to skip a moment altogether if it might come off as disrespectful.
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