India Tourism: Can Better Civic Sense Boost Visitor Numbers?

Travel influencer and former actor Shenaz Treasury has sparked a huge online debate about the differences in cleanliness between both Sri Lanka and India. Her recent statements went viral. Many users have stood behind her thoughts on the fact that the lack of civic awareness and cleanliness issues are impacting India’s tourism sector. The topic has now become one of the most discussed trending news today.

Shenaz Treasury’s Comparison of Sri Lanka and India

Shenaz posted a video while in Ella. A popular tourist destination in Sri Lanka that highlighted the clean public areas, organized infrastructure and large number of international tourists in Sri Lanka versus India. This has many cultural travel destinations yet struggles to attract comparable international tourism due to cleanliness issues.

Shenaz believes that the presence of cleaner roads, proper rubbish disposal and better civic behavior have a positive impact on a visitor’s experience. She expressed disappointment that India, with such a large tourism potential. It is often a let down to visit due to dirty public spaces and a lack of sanitation.

Concerns Over Civic Sense and Public Hygiene

Concerns are being questioned regarding how much litter and spitting we as a society are tolerating within public places. The idea is that if you truly love your country, you should take pride in maintaining its’ public spaces, rivers, beaches, temples and attractions. In addition to this, Shenaz is calling for stricter enforcement of sanitation laws and heavier penalties for those who violate public sanitation laws. Her call to action has reinvigorated discussions. It is surrounding how citizens and city officials can help keep their cities and tourist attractions cleaner.

Sri Lanka’s Tourism Success Draws Attention

Sri Lanka has outperformed many larger nations in terms of tourists who travel to the isle nation. Approximately 2.36 million visitors travelled to Sri Lanka in 2025. This accounted for an income of approximately $3.2 billion through travel/tourism. In addition to this, many tourists have complimented Sri Lanka for how much cleaner it is than other countries. Also, how much less chaotic the country is compared to others and how hospitable the citizens are towards visitors.

Social Media Reactions Divided

As a result of the comments made by Shenaz about the differences between how much tourism is impacted by cleanliness, infrastructure and civic duty. Many social media users have begun to consider how this will affect the world opinion of a country and its ability to develop tourism.

As the video became popular on social media, many users commented on what their view of the world was. The opinion that increasing civic awareness and effective public behaviour is essential to improving India’s attractiveness as a tourist destination. This was widely shared among many commentators. Some commenters were happy to note that Sri Lanka has a clean culture. However, other commenters argued that in order to achieve sustainable, long-term change, there will need to be increased public awareness and stricter enforcement of sanitation laws. Several commenters have pointed out that discussions around cleanliness should be regarded as an opportunity for improvement. Rather than as criticisms of the country.

Tourism Development Alert

Shenaz Treasury’s comments illustrate a larger, ongoing issue for the tourism industry of India. This is in relation to online discussions around tourism and development. While the country is privileged to have some of the best historical sites, beautiful landscapes and cultural experiences to offer. Experts are stating that if India were to improve its sanitation, waste disposal practices and public accountability then this would further boost its reputation as one of the leading global tourist destinations.

Ongoing online conversations continue to demonstrate the interrelationship that exists between tourism, hygiene, public behaviour. Also, how these factors together contribute to the overall development of tourism.