‘Thailand is cheaper to visit than India’: Shashi Tharoor’s remark sparks debate on tourism costs

A recent remark by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has put the spotlight on an issue that affects every traveller: cost.Speaking during an interaction with members of the Indian diaspora in Thailand, Tharoor drew a comparison between India and Thailand that quickly caught attention online. His comments touched on travel expenses, tourism promotion, and the support needed to strengthen the sector.The discussion soon spread across social media, where users shared differing views on what helps make a destination appealing to visitors.During the conversation, Tharoor said Thailand remains a more affordable destination for tourists despite having a higher per capita income than India.“Thailand is historically very much cheaper to visit for a tourist than India is. And that’s a bit ironic because in many ways your per capita income is higher than ours, so we should actually be cheaper than you,” Tharoor said.Tharoor also questioned how tourism is marketed.“Except for a few inspiring exceptions, like my friend Amitabh Kant, who devised the Incredible India campaign, I would say that a lot of that is not well done by government officials. They're schooled in a different way, a different approach to things,” he said.Tharoor argued that tour operators and travel companies should take the lead in bringing more visitors to India.“What you need is tour operators, the private sector, and tour people who do tours, actually not just staying in India and welcoming people, but also coming out and attracting people to come by selling packages,” he said.He also stressed the need for stronger support systems in tourist areas.“The government can facilitate a lot of things by improving infrastructure in tourist areas, by improving regulations that govern everything from hawking to begging to sanitation and waste disposal; all sorts of things can be improved with government infrastructure support,” he said.Another comment from Tharoor also generated discussion.“I think Bangkok gets in one month more tourists than the whole of India gets in a year,” he said.The comparison quickly became one of the most talked-about parts of the interaction.Users offered different perspectives after the remarks gained attention online.“Its not about cheaper. India simply doesn't know how to host international tourists. Also, the posh places in Bangkok are what Mumbai wishes it were like. Mumbai is downtrodden compared to Bangkok. What tourist wants to be confronted by extreme poverty and pollution every day?” one user wrote.“Think about locals first and how to make it more pleasant for them. Tourists will come right along. You don't have to do anything special for tourists,” commented another.“He's exactly right. Thailand is cheaper. And cleaner. And traffic is more disciplined. Not just one factor,” wrote a third user.Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the social media posts quoted in this article are individual reactions shared by users online and do not necessarily reflect the views of this publication.Thumb image: X