I’ve Lived in India for 30 Years. Don’t Make These Common Tourist Mistakes
I’ve Lived in India for 30 Years. Don’t Make These Common Tourist Mistakes
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https://www.fodors.com/world/asia/india/experiences/news/photos/dont-make-these-common-tourist-mistakes
First time or tenth, anyone can make these mistakes.
I have lived in India for three decades. It’s one of the most exciting and confusing countries to travel. It’s so rewarding to explore it and see all its facets, but travelers who come with preconceived notions often fall into common traps. Don’t be that tourist. Be careful, as you would in any other nation, and give yourself time to adjust to the customs. There is no doubt that you will have culture shock, so ease into the experience. No one can emulate the same India experience, so make yours uniquely yours without judgements.
These are the common mistakes that tourists often make, and if you want to have a wholesome experience, you’ve been warned.
PHOTO: ALEXANTON/SHUTTERSTOCK
1 OF 10
Generalizing and Believing Stereotypes
India is one-third the size of the U.S. It is a big country, and you’d be remiss to homogenize it. Each region has its own culture, food, language, or dialect. Like the U.S., some areas are flourishing and rich, while some are impoverished. You will find skyscrapers in metropolises like Mumbai and Bengaluru, while there are also slums. Around 25% of the population is bilingual, and more than 10%—that’s 150 million people—speak English to some degree.
Before and during your visit, do not mistake all of India for poor or uneducated. The obsolete tropes of India being a land of snake charmers are not only racist, but also wrong. You would also benefit from being mindful about visiting slums or orphanages. Don’t indulge in poverty porn, and try to understand the nuances of life in the country.
PHOTO: SAI._.AVINASH/SHUTTERSTOCK
2 OF 10
Sticking to the Golden Triangle
Yes, the Taj Mahal is beautiful and Jaipur is accessible from Delhi, but there’s a lot more to see in the country. Depending on the season, you can explore Ladakh, Meghalaya, Tamil Nadu, and the Andamans. Closer to Delhi, you have beautiful hill stations and mountain towns, while in the south you can discover places other than Goa and Kerala (check out Gokarna). You will see different architectural styles as you move from north to south and west to east—from Mughal influences to Dravidian style. Then there are historic palaces by former royalty, temple complexes (Khajuraho is a must-see), and sprawling nature reserves with jungle lodges.
PHOTO: SAIKO3P/ISTOCK
3 OF 10
Doing Too Much, Too Soon
The opposite is also a mistake. Don’t pack too much into your itinerary. You’ll exhaust yourself just trying to get to places. Pick one region, and explore it slowly within whatever time you have. You can always decide to come back.
PHOTO: RAHULDSILVA/ISTOCK
4 OF 10
Underestimating the Traffic and Overestimating the Roads
I lived in Gurgaon for two decades, and now when I go back, I always underestimate the time it would take me to go from one place to the next. I also try to walk distances where sometimes there are no pedestrian paths. Don’t be me. An eight-hour drive can easily stretch to 10 due to traffic or road conditions; even weather is sometimes an impediment. Apart from Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai are also notorious for their road traffic, and you’ll also often face delays in the hills.
Pack your patience if you’re covering long distances on four-wheelers.
PHOTO: SURYA S NAIR/SHUTTERSTOCK
5 OF 10
Not Getting on Board India’s Tech Revolution
The first thing you should do when you arrive is get a SIM card. Everything in India is easier digitally. You can connect to airport Wi-Fi, order food on apps such as Swiggy and Zomato and groceries on BlinkIt, pay using UPI apps, and book train tickets on the IRCTC website. There’s an app for everything and data is cheap. Not feeling well? You can even find a doctor on Practo and get an appointment. The digital ecosystem in the country—while criticized for being exploitative—is really convenient.
PHOTO: TALUKDAR DAVID/SHUTTERSTOCK
6 OF 10
Dressing Without Care
In Hindi, we have a saying, “Jaisa desh, waisa bhesh.” Literally, it translates to as the country, so the dress. It basically means that you need to adapt to the country; do as the Romans do in Rome. In places of worship, like temples, gurudwaras, and mosques, Indians cover up as a matter of respect. The same goes for smaller towns and villages, where anyone (no matter Indian or not) will attract attention if they’re not dressed modestly.
PHOTO: PRADEEPGAURS/SHUTTERSTOCK
7 OF 10
Not Trying Local Cuisines
It’s understandable that foreigners are careful with food because of the possibility of upset stomachs. But you can still try local cuisines at restaurants and eateries, or even hotels that have local delicacies on their menu. It’s a misconception that Indian food is too spicy—it really depends on where you are and what you’re eating. The cuisine changes every 30 kilometers, so you will have so many varieties that you can eat a different dish (or a different version of a dish) for each meal. Don’t miss out on it—there is more to the cuisine than butter chicken and naan, though they’re lovely, too.
PHOTO: DENISVOSTRIKOV/DREAMSTIME
8 OF 10
Not Shopping for Local Crafts
India is a goldmine of handicrafts. Every region has beautiful textiles, pottery, accessories, furnishings, and homeware. Don’t get the regular magnet of an autorickshaw, and find something more meaningful to bring home as a souvenir. Pashmina scarf, banarasi saree, jutti, madhubani painting, silver jewelry, glass bangles, and embroidery are all something you’d cherish. For foodies, there are chutneys, ingredients like saffron, sweets, achaar (pickles), and namkeen (snacks) that will make your pantry more colorful and food more flavorful.
PHOTO: SAIKO3P/DREAMSTIME
9 OF 10
Haggling Like a Local
It may be on your India travel bingo card to haggle with shopkeepers, but it’s not a good look for foreigners. Your dollar converts to almost Rs 100. When your currency and buying power are that strong, it makes haggling for a few rupees unnecessary. They will most likely charge you an inflated price because you’re a tourist, but if you can afford to, why not just pay? If you’re unhappy with the price, walk away—not as a tactic.
PHOTO: SANDHYA MANDAL/SHUTTERSTOCK
10 OF 10
Driving When You Don't Need To
I also recommend that people only drive (cars or bikes) if they’re sure and confident that they can handle the stress. Many find roads to be chaotic, especially in the bigger cities, and it is. Taking the wheel can be nerve-racking because you’re fighting for space with trucks, buses, auto-rickshaws, bikes, SUVs, and cyclists. Keep that international driving license handy, but try it on less busy roads.
When it comes to guest satisfaction, this 3rd-party operator outdoes the rest, according to the JD Power ranking
https://hotelsmag.com/news/when-it-comes-to-guest-satisfaction-this-3rd-party-operator-outdoes-the-rest-according-to-jd-power-ranking/
Hotel guests really like hotels operated by Columbia Sussex. That’s according to the just-released JD Power 2026 North America Third-Party Hotel Management Guest Satisfaction Benchmark, a study based on feedback from 5,642 guests.
Columbia Sussex, based in Crestview, Ky., and with a portfolio of around 50 mostly branded hotels, produced a score of 739.
Rounding out the top five are Crestline Hotels & Resorts, Driftwood Hospitality, Concord Hospitality and White Lodging.
Guest satisfaction at branded hotels operated by third-party management companies improved in 2026, with the overall score rising 14 points to 696 from 682 a year earlier, showing year-over-year improvement across all operational areas, with the strongest gains seen in guestrooms and staff service.
The benchmark reflects efforts by hotel management companies to invest in the property itself and hotel staff training. Guest satisfaction improved year over year across all operational areas, particularly guest rooms. Staff service satisfaction among first-time guests at the hotel increased 26 points year over year.
“Franchised hotel property investments are paying off in higher guest satisfaction compared to last year,” said Andrea Stokes, hospitality practice lead of JD Power. “Where we see further opportunity is in guest perceptions of hotel lobbies and common areas.”
The benchmark found that common areas remain an opportunity despite rising guest satisfaction across most areas. Only 43% of guests perceive hotel common areas as inviting, and 48% view them as modern.
The North America Third-Party Hotel Management Guest Satisfaction Benchmark is now in its seventh year. It evaluates guest satisfaction with branded hotels operated by the largest third-party hotel management companies and includes operators with 14,000 or more branded hotel rooms under management.
The benchmark evaluates seven dimensions, in order of importance: guestroom; hotel staff service; value for prices paid; check-in/check-out; hotel facility; food and beverage; and hotel connectivity. The 2026 benchmark is based on 5,642 survey responses for past 30-day branded hotel stays from May 2025 through May 2026.
Top Talent Awards: Ana Morillo, Chief Marketing Officer, Palladium Hotel Group
https://hotelsmag.com/news/top-talent-awards-ana-morillo-chief-marketing-officer-palladium-hotel-group/
We often end up in places we hadn’t imagined ourselves in because we chose to follow great leaders. Or, at least, that’s what happened to Ana Morillo, Palladium Hotel Group’s chief marketing officer.
Long before stepping into hospitality, Morillo started as a consultant at Simon Kucher & Partners, where she worked on projects in construction, media, automotive—you name it.
After six years there, she took a job with Spain’s NH Hotel Group as global director of pricing. She then moved into commercial strategy and eventually dove into the strategic transformation of projects across the company. Those roles allowed her to apply what she’d learned—constantly looking for opportunities in marketing, commercial strategy, organizational structure and business development, then building plans, leading teams and implementing change.
Morillo believes consulting taught her how to simplify complex problems, identify opportunities and recognize where value could be created, as well as understand an array of businesses from the outside. “Many people believe you need to specialize immediately, but what’s most important is understanding how a business works at its core,” she said. “Once you understand that, you can apply those principles to any industry.”
Who says you can’t go home again? Nine years at NH went by, and Morillo felt it was time for a refresh. She went back to where she started, returning to Simon-Kucher to work with many of the world’s leading hotel companies. The experience, she said, allowed her to learn from different organizations, share knowledge across the industry and confirmed what she loved most about hospitality: being close to the product, understanding guests, designing new concepts, redefining brand strategies and working on transformational projects.
“That can really only happen within a company,” she said. She got her wish when she met the CEO of Palladium Hotel Group, Jesús Sobrino, who promptly coaxed her to join the company, which operates more than 40 hotels and over 13,000 rooms in eight countries.
GREAT VISION, GREAT EXPECTATIONS
Morillo says the people who have inspired her most all shared three crucial characteristics: they created a compelling vision; they motivated their teams to move toward it; and they preached that giving up is simply never an option. “I can think of several people who were true visionaries— people who looked at something others considered impossible and found a way to turn that vision into reality,” she said. “They also teach you never to stop learning, never to stop questioning, and never to stop believing that something can be achieved.”
In terms of her own leadership style, Morillo thinks of herself as a demanding leader, someone who sets high standards for herself and her team while providing a blank canvas to dream, to create, to execute, to make mistakes, to learn and then restart it all. “It’s a bit like raising children—if you don’t challenge them, who will?” (She also has three young daughters.)
GETTING OFF TRACK
In Morillo’s office are Post-it notes. One has a single word written on it: focus. It’s incredibly easy to lose focus in an industry where there are endless exciting things you could be working on, she admitted. “You can redesign brands, rethink investment strategies, transform distribution channels, revamp room categories or restructure hotels. The possibilities are endless,” she said. “It’s tempting to work on what’s exciting, what’s visible or what looks impressive, while neglecting the fundamentals and the processes that truly matter.”
One of the biggest lessons she’s learned, and one that has become one of her teachings, is to make sure that whatever you’re working on is not only urgent, but truly important. “Otherwise, it’s very easy to send an entire organization in the wrong direction,” she said. “One decision from me can influence more than 12,000 people.”
Dominican Fiesta Hotel Santo Domingo, part of Palladium Hotel Group.
SHAPING THE FUTURE
Artificial intelligence is changing the way travelers make decisions, and that’s putting marketing at the center of the conversation.
Morillo said one of the biggest challenges ahead will be ensuring that Palladium’s nine brands are represented consistently across large language models and other AI-driven platforms. “The way we invest in Google, the major digital platforms, TripAdvisor, Meta and other marketing channels is also going to change dramatically,” she said.
If she had to give her younger self one piece of advice, it would be not to suffer so much along the way, but to enjoy change. “Change is coming whether you like it or not,” she said. “If you’re someone who embraces change, you’ll always be in the best position to keep moving forward. If you resist it instead, you’ll first have to recover, regroup, and adapt before you can move again. I’d rather welcome change than fear it.”
DUHC&S | Strategic Hospitality Consulting & Advisory
We transform hospitality and tourism businesses through strategic solutions, operational efficiency, and comprehensive renovation. With over 40 years of experience working with brands like Hilton, Hyatt, Sheraton, and Sonesta, we enhance asset value and profitability through:
• Business reengineering and renovation
• Operational excellence and brand standards (GSI +90%)
• Market penetration and commercial strategies
• Key partnerships and disruptive innovation
• Hotel openings and repositioning
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✅ +120% asset valuation growth
✅ Successful projects across 6 Latin American countries
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