India has rapidly emerged as one of Southeast Asia’s most dynamic outbound tourism markets. According to India Tourism Data Collection (2025), the number of Indian tourist arrivals to Southeast Asia is expected to increase from 4.1 million in 2023 to over 5.2 million in 2024. The region’s share in India’s outbound travel is set to reach 17% in 2024, up 2% from last year. This steady growth is driven by easy visa access, expanding air connectivity and cultural familiarity.
Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia feature among the top 15 destination countries for India, reflecting deepening people-to-people ties and economic ties. However, the rapid increase in tourist numbers has also been accompanied by a series of isolated incidents of tourist abuse, leading to public scrutiny and renewed efforts to promote responsible tourism conduct. However, even with these positive developments, some incidents involving misbehavior by Indian tourists – ranging from cultural insensitivity to public disturbances – have raised concern among local authorities and led to a renewed emphasis on responsible tourism conduct.
Many incidents involved cultural and religious insensitivity, particularly in places such as Thailand and Indonesia. In Bali, temple etiquette is central to local culture. Bali alone recorded 697,000 foreign tourist arrivals in July 2025. Indian tourists were reported to be using drones in temple areas without permission or disrespecting the Hindu customs of Balinese Hindus at the temple. In 2024, Balinese authorities arrested and deported three Russian tourists for dancing and behaving disrespectfully in a sacred Hindu temple, underscoring the island’s strict enforcement of cultural respect laws for foreign visitors. In April 2025, Bali Governor Wayan Koster issued Circular Letter No. 7 of 2025 to prevent tourist abuse and protect the cultural integrity of the island. The regulation requires foreign visitors to respect sacred sites, dress modestly, use licensed guides and transportation, and pay a mandatory tourism levy, while banning pollution, indecent behavior, and unauthorized commercial activities. Violations will be enforced by the Civil Service Police (Satpol PP) and Bali Police, with penalties including denial of access to attractions or legal action. In March 2025, Indian tourists were seen drinking, littering and sleeping on the beach in Pattaya, as per reports peppermint. Last December, in another incident in Thailand, Indian tourists were reported to have misbehaved with Russian YouTubers.
Another typical pattern was public disorder associated with nightlife tourism and alcohol consumption. Incidents in Bangkok, Pattaya and Singapore’s Changi Airport in 2024 involved small groups of Indian tourists creating disturbances in public areas. Some Indian tourists were seen urinating on Pattaya beach. Then some of them were criticized online for dancing at a tourist spot. An Indian passenger at Singapore’s Changi Airport has criticized fellow Indian passengers for unruly, chaotic behavior during boarding, describing them as jumping ahead of queues, shouting and ignoring instructions from airport staff. Some of them were also seen sitting on the floor, spilling breakfast and talking loudly. Then earlier this month a video of an Indian man being cornered by a group of transwomen for refusing to pay for services in Pattaya went viral. A similar incident had also happened last October.
As Indian group tourism expands to emerging destinations like Vietnam, isolated incidents of Indians being thrown out of a nightclub on Beer Street in Hanoi in 2025 are tarnishing India’s global image.
Media coverage, especially on digital platforms, played a decisive role in shaping public perception. Individual acts of abuse were often portrayed as national characteristics rather than individual omissions. Sensational reporting and viral short videos created what researchers describe as an amplification effect, which turned small issues into trending controversies. Southeast Asian netizens expressed dismay at the alleged cultural disrespect, while Indian social media users defended the passengers from stereotyping.
Nevertheless, the cumulative media narrative temporarily affected India’s image as a source market, prompting both Indian and ASEAN tourism agencies to pursue public diplomacy measures to restore balance in perception.
Governments in Southeast Asia took a measured but proactive approach to the issue. Thailand launched several initiatives in 2024 under the Respect Thailand campaign to encourage cultural awareness among foreign tourists. Indonesia revised its tourism code of conduct in 2025, introducing penalties for disrespect at religious sites. Again, other countries are at the forefront of regulating tourist behaviour. Vietnam strengthened its code of conduct for civilized tourism and Malaysia also brought in a similar regulation. Meanwhile, Visit Malaysia 2026 was launched to attract 47 million tourists and generate US$80 billion.
On the Indian side, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) should issue advisories promoting responsible conduct abroad. Regarding the US decision to deport Indians living illegally, the Indian government issued public reminders stressing compliance with local laws. While respecting local cultural sensitivities, this step can be taken in the same manner as for travelers to South East Asian countries.
In 2025, India and ASEAN discussed inclusion of tourism ethics in the ASEAN-India Tourism Cooperation Framework, one of the first regional efforts to promote tourism and also highlight its negative impact on the well-being and culture of host countries. This includes promoting ecotourism and preserving historical and cultural heritage; However, it does not explicitly address tourist behaviour.
These incidents have implications beyond mere travel etiquette. First, they highlight the interconnections between tourism, soft power and national identity. As India has become a top outbound market, the behavior of its citizens abroad inevitably influences perceptions of Indian culture. Secondly, this situation underlines the role of media ethics in shaping cross-cultural narratives, especially in the digital age where short clips can distort reality.
From a policy perspective, the events intensified the need for “behavioral diplomacy” – an informal but strategic approach in which nations educate outbound travelers to serve as cultural ambassadors. For ASEAN economies, the episode also confirmed the need to balance the benefits of mass tourism with local sensitivities and sustainable development priorities.
Tourism promotion measures should include each host country presenting Indian-language cultural orientation awareness messages on flights and airports and collaborating with Indian tour agencies to integrate “do’s and don’ts”.
On the other hand, Indian travelers are now among the most visible and influential tourist groups in the world. With that visibility also comes responsibility. To maintain India’s image as a respectable and cultured global community, travelers must behave responsibly and politely when abroad. Respect for local customs is important – understanding dress codes, sacred norms and social etiquette, especially at religious or traditional sites. Moderation in nightlife areas and public gatherings helps avoid negative effects. Travelers should also be careful online and avoid filming or sharing photos of local people or customs without consent. Environmental responsibility is equally important: keep the surroundings clean, use reusable items and dispose of waste properly. Above all, every traveler represents India internationally – their behaviour, interactions and awareness shape the perception of the country. By combining cultural sensitivity, self-discipline and environmental respect, Indian tourists can strengthen the country’s reputation and ensure that their visits contribute positively to local communities and India’s position as a responsible global partner in tourism and cultural exchanges.
Travel is, in essence, a form of cultural diplomacy. Every humble gesture strengthens India’s soft power and deepens people-to-people ties across Asia. The period between 2024 and 2025 serves as both a learning phase and a turning point in India-South East Asia tourism relations. While isolated incidents of abuse briefly tarnished India’s image abroad, they also promoted constructive dialogue on cultural sensitivity, mutual respect and sustainable tourism practices. Some incidents of misconduct observed between 2024 and 2025 serve as valuable lessons in tourism diplomacy
Rather than harm bilateral tourism relations, these incidents catalyzed regional cooperation on traveler education and ethical tourism governance. This episode ultimately confirmed that the future of tourism diplomacy lies not just in numbers but in mutual understanding and shared responsibility between visitors and host countries.
This article is written by Mehdi Hussain, former research fellow at the Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi.
