By Dr Zaman E. Tongper
Every tourist destination eventually reaches a point where it must ask itself a difficult question, is success measured by the number of visitors who arrive each year, or by the kind of visitors it welcomes? Meghalaya is approaching that moment. In recent weeks, public attention has been drawn to incidents involving tourists cooking by the roadside, while earlier reports spoke of visitors allegedly damaging accommodations and leaving behind litter at popular sites. These incidents have sparked outrage, but they also risk distracting us from a larger and more uncomfortable conversation. Roadside cooking is not the real issue. It is merely a symptom of something deeper, a growing decline in travel etiquette that affects not only Meghalaya but destinations around the world.
Tourism has become one of Meghalaya’s strongest economic drivers. The state recorded around 13.8 lakh tourist arrivals, surpassing its pre-pandemic figures and continues to invest heavily in new tourism circuits, accommodation and visitor infrastructure. Tourism supports hotels, homestays, restaurants, taxi drivers, guides, artisans and countless small businesses whose livelihoods depend directly or indirectly on visitors. Yet, as destinations become more popular, another reality emerges, the sustainability of tourism also depends on the conduct of the people who travel.
One cannot help but notice a change in the way some people approach travel. Increasingly, there appears to be an attitude that paying for a holiday entitles one to behave without restraint. It is reflected in the dismissive remark, “I paid for it, so I can do what I want.” This mindset is fundamentally flawed. Paying for a hotel room does not grant permission to damage its property. Purchasing a ticket to a waterfall does not justify crossing safety barriers or leaving behind plastic waste. Hiring a guide does not make that guide a servant to be spoken to disrespectfully. Payment grants access to a destination, it does not confer authority over it. Every traveller remains a guest and every guest carries an obligation to respect the place they are visiting.
Those who work in the tourism industry understand this reality better than most. Tourist taxi drivers, receptionists, waiters, security personnel, forest guards and tour guides are often the first to face the frustration of visitors who refuse to follow instructions. They are criticised for restricting access, enforcing rules or asking tourists to stay within designated areas. Yet these measures exist not to diminish anyone’s experience but to protect lives, preserve fragile ecosystems and ensure that future visitors can enjoy the same places. Around the world, many of the most tragic accidents at tourist sites have occurred because safety advice was ignored. Respecting those entrusted with managing a destination should never be viewed as an inconvenience; it is part of being a responsible traveller.
The transformation of travel through social media has complicated matters further. Holidays are no longer simply opportunities to discover new cultures or landscapes. For many, they have become performances designed for online audiences. Destinations are chosen for their visual appeal and experiences are increasingly measured by likes, views and shares. The desire to create the perfect photograph or viral video has encouraged some travellers to dance in crowded public spaces, climb barriers for selfies, block roads for photographs or venture into prohibited areas despite repeated warnings. Tourism researchers have described this trend as “performative tourism”, where the pursuit of digital recognition sometimes overshadows respect for people, culture and even personal safety. The problem is not social media itself, it is allowing the camera to become more important than the place.
Meghalaya is far from alone in facing these challenges. Across the world, governments are grappling with the consequences of irresponsible visitor behaviour. Bhutan offers perhaps one of the clearest examples of a country that has chosen to prioritise quality over quantity. Since opening its doors to tourism, Bhutan has followed a “High Value, Low Volume” policy that places cultural preservation and environmental protection above maximising visitor numbers. The philosophy recognises that tourism should enrich local communities rather than overwhelm them. Even as the country works to grow its tourism economy, official policy continues to emphasise authenticity, heritage conservation and responsible travel.
New Zealand adopted a similar approach through the “Tiaki Promise”, a nationwide campaign that encourages every visitor to act as a guardian of the country’s people, culture and environment. Rather than treating responsible tourism as a set of rules, the campaign frames it as a shared responsibility between guests and hosts. Iceland, meanwhile, has spent considerable resources restoring fragile landscapes damaged by visitors who ignored marked trails in pursuit of dramatic photographs. Venice has introduced visitor management measures to address overcrowding, while destinations from Machu Picchu to Maya Bay in Thailand have periodically restricted access to protect fragile ecosystems from the cumulative effects of human activity. These examples illustrate a simple lesson, successful tourism is no longer judged solely by arrival numbers but by how well destinations protect themselves while remaining welcoming.
It would, however, be both unfair and inaccurate to suggest that irresponsible behaviour is unique to Indian tourists. Every country has visitors who disregard local customs, damage property or ignore regulations. Nevertheless, it would also be dishonest to dismiss concerns simply because others behave badly. A growing number of widely circulated incidents involving Indian travellers, from arguments with airline crews to disrespectful conduct at heritage and religious sites, have generated international attention and fuelled negative stereotypes. The overwhelming majority of Indian tourists are courteous, law-abiding and respectful, yet public memory rarely distinguishes between the many who behave well and the few who do not. Unfortunately, reputation travels much faster than people and a handful of irresponsible actions can shape perceptions of millions.
While much of the discussion focuses on visitors, local communities must also acknowledge their own responsibilities. It would be hypocritical to criticise tourists for littering if residents continue to dump waste into rivers, throw bottles along roadsides or damage public infrastructure. Respect for a destination begins with the people who call it home. Responsible tourism cannot be achieved if hosts expect standards from visitors that they themselves are unwilling to uphold. A clean environment, courteous interactions and civic responsibility create the culture that visitors encounter upon arrival. Tourism flourishes where mutual respect exists.
Perhaps the most enduring solution lies not in stricter penalties or more warning signs but in education. Schools devote years to teaching mathematics, science and languages, yet very little attention is given to the ethics of travel and shared public spaces. As travel becomes more accessible to young Indians than ever before, there is a compelling case for introducing travel etiquette within civic education. Students should learn that different communities have different customs, that silence may be appropriate in sacred places, that guides, drivers, waiters, security personnel deserve respect, that public spaces are shared by everyone and that every traveller represents not only themselves but also their family, their state and their country. Such lessons are not about restricting freedom, they are about cultivating empathy.
Meghalaya’s waterfalls, caves and living root bridges have earned international admiration because generations of local communities protected them long before tourism became an industry. Visitors come here seeking something increasingly rare, a landscape that still feels authentic. Preserving that authenticity requires more than government investment or promotional campaigns. It requires an understanding that tourism is ultimately a relationship built on trust. Hosts trust visitors to respect their culture, environment and way of life. Visitors trust hosts to welcome them with warmth and hospitality. When either side neglects that responsibility, everyone loses.
