'Please Don’t Take Anything With You': Swiss Hotel's Special Rules For Indians Is Viral

Questions about how Indian tourists are perceived overseas have resurfaced after industrialist Harsh Goenka shared a photograph of a notice that a Swiss hotel had reportedly displayed specifically for guests from India. The image, which quickly gained attention online, reignited discussions about travel etiquette, public behaviour and whether the actions of a few travellers end up shaping perceptions of an entire nationality.Goenka posted a picture of the notice from Hotel Arc-En-Ciel in Gstaad, Switzerland. Addressed directly to "Dear guests from India", the message listed a number of requests concerning behaviour within the hotel, including buffet etiquette, dining practices and maintaining quiet in common areas.One of the instructions asked

guests not to remove food from the breakfast buffet."Everything you will find on the buffet is freshly prepared and comes from local producers. Please do not take anything with you, the food is for breakfast only,'' the notice stated that guests who needed food later could purchase a packed lunch from the hotel.The hotel also requested that guests use the designated serving utensils rather than personal cutlery while helping themselves at the buffet. According to the notice, the aim was to ensure that all visitors could enjoy "an appetizing buffet."Another section focused on restaurant etiquette and informed guests that sharing meals would attract an additional service charge.“Our restaurant is open for lunch and dinner. We offer various dishes and also vegetarian dishes. If you want to share a dish for 2 or more persons, we have to charge CHF 5.- per additional person for the service and plate and CHF 1.- for a drink,” it said.The notice also addressed noise levels and asked guests to be mindful of others staying at the property."There are other guests from all over the world in the hotel. They also appreciate the peace and quiet and therefore we ask you to be quiet in the corridor and not speak too loud on the balcony," said Hotel Arc-En-Ciel in Gstaad.Sharing the image on X, Goenka said he had personally encountered the notice and found it deeply disappointing."A Swiss hotel once displayed a list of special rules exclusively for Indian guests which I personally saw and was appalled," he wrote.

He went on to argue that some of the behaviour increasingly seen in viral videos featuring Indian tourists abroad may be contributing to such perceptions. According to Goenka, public dancing, loud conversations and turning quiet public spaces into gathering spots often irritate locals and fellow travellers.Referring to viral videos that frequently circulate online, Goenka wrote: "Today, videos of garba in restaurants, loud conversations in airports, and turning aircraft cabins into picnic spots keep doing the rounds."Drawing a contrast with Japan, Goenka said the country's global reputation has been built not only on economic success but also on courtesy, discipline and civic behaviour."If India wants to be a true global superpower, the world should remember Indians for its excellence, consideration and respect for others. Our civic sense seriously needs to be upgraded," he concluded.