Lessons in courtesy from foreign lands
We Indians claim to be the oldest civilisation in the world. We also claim to be natural hosts. ‘Atithi devo bhava’ is the tagline of Indian Tourism. However, we can learn lessons in courtesy from foreign lands.
I have travelled to many countries as a tourist but I can’t recall a single occasion when someone misbehaved with me. I would like to share a few instances where I felt that we need to learn lessons in courtesy from other countries.
In 2002, I visited the United Kingdom with my family. I went to a bus station in Southampton to plan my visit and make the bookings accordingly. It was a one-stop shop of the tourism department. It took me more than an hour to finalise the itinerary. The bus tickets from place to place and hotel bookings were done at the same time. There were a large number of people waiting for their turn behind us. They were reading books or just relaxing. There was no jostling or pushing. This was my first lesson in courtesy.
When we were returning from Glasgow to London, we had an embarrassing experience. I was given several bus travel and hotel booking coupons at Southampton. I had only one left in my pocket. When the bus conductor asked for my tickets, I reached out for the coupon and gave it to him. He looked at it and said, “Sir, this is a hotel booking coupon, not a bus coupon.” Taken aback, I said, “I may have given the bus coupon inadvertently at the hotel in Glasgow. You can charge me for the tickets now.” He said, “Sir, you are our guests. It is not your fault. Please let me enquire from the booking counter at Southampton. If they confirm, I won’t have to charge you.” He called up Southampton immediately. After getting a reply, he apologised and walked away. This was lesson number two for me.
I was at Los Angeles to meet my son when on Christmas day he offered to take us out for a tour of the city. He called a cab using an app and I sat behind the driver. My son sat in front and my wife seated behind him. When we reached our destination, the driver stopped the cab at a corner. I should not have opened my door, but I did. A bus was turning the corner and it took away the door of the cab. It was a bad accident. We got down and the bus also halted. There was no crowd at the accident spot nor was anyone shouting. The cab driver called up his insurance company. I was feeling guilty. The cab driver came towards us and said, “Sir, you are tourists. Please go ahead with your plan for the day. This will be sorted out.”
Mumbling an apology, we left. After some time, the cab hailing app representatives called up my son to enquire if anyone needed medical help. They felt sorry for the mishap, refunded the charged amount and gave $25 credit as compensation. This was lesson number three for me.
If we want to encourage tourism in India, we need to be more courteous and polite. We also need to learn a few lessons in courtesy from the countries who welcome tourists with open arms.
IF WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE TOURISM IN INDIA, WE NEED TO BE MORE COURTEOUS AND POLITE