A video of a group of Gujarati tourists singing loudly inside a public bus in Germany has once again triggered the same old debate. “Civic sense”. How disturbing others with shouting loudly can be celebrating your culture abroad? The clip shows the group singing together while other other passengers in the bus look quite shocked and quiet. Some look visibly uncomfortable and disgusted. The exact German city, bus route and date of the incident have not been independently established. But the video has gone viral for all the wrong reasons and has again put Indians in the wrong light.The controversy is not about Gujarati music or Indian celebrations but more about the place and how they are being expressed.Why the German bus video has attracted criticismFor many travellers, a public bus is only a way to reach one place to another. In Germany, as in much of Europe, passengers generally expect shared public transport to remain relatively silent. People may talk to companions, listen to music through headphones or use their phones, but loud group singing can easily become irritating.There is nothing inherently wrong with a group of tourists being happy. But the problem here arises when a shared space becomes an unwilling audience for that celebration.It also comes at a time when social media has made tourist behaviour itself part of the travel spectacle.Not the first timeThis is not the first time Indian tourists have faced backlash.In May 2026, a video from Vietnam showed Indian tourists performing Garba near a VietJet aircraft at an airport. The video generated backlash from all over. People questioned whether an airport operational area was an appropriate place for a spontaneous dance performance.Another clip from Hanoi’s famous Train Street showed Indian tourists dancing to Chaiyya Chaiyya. The location itself is unusual: a narrow railway corridor where trains pass through a densely built-up neighbourhood. The video again raised questions about civic sense.Then back in a 2025 viral video filmed in Bhutan showed Indian traveller Stephen T criticising fellow Indian tourists for being excessively loud at a serene tourist location.There have been situations where Indian tourists have been recorded singing and dancing at locations including a Sydney train, Switzerland’s Mount Titlis and even near a World War II memorial.Here, it’s important to understand that celebrating Indian culture is not the problem.Indian tourists dancing Garba at a cultural festival and singing during a private tour or at an event is very different from turning a crowded bus, airport operational area or solemn memorial into an impromptu dancing or singing stage.Online reactionsOne user wrote, “For those who think it’s cool to sing louder in public transportation in German it’s not allowed to sing louder or bagging or listening louder music it’s written in the buses”“Civic sense died here…”“Why only Gujaratis are happy outside India? 🤣🤣🤣🤣”“Why gujjus why?”“Always Gujarati 👏👏👏”Travel etiquette is part of travelling wellInternational travel is not simply about getting a visa, and ticking destinations off a list.On public transport, that can mean keeping conversations at a reasonable volume, using headphones and allowing other passengers their personal space.None of this requires tourists to abandon their personality. It simply requires awareness of the place and environment.The German bus video may eventually disappear from social media, replaced by the next viral travel controversy. But the conversation it has triggered is worth having.
