India is not just a country with immense cultural diversity; it also has innumerable tourist destinations to explore. However, according to travel content creator and former actor, Shenaz Treasury, despite having such an advantage, foreign tourists refuse to visit here and prefer other South Asian and Southeast Asian destinations because we don’t keep our surroundings clean.
On May 25, Shenaz, who recently travelled to Ella in Sri Lanka, shared a video comparing public cleanliness standards in Sri Lanka and India. The clip is now gaining attention on social media, with users debating civic responsibility and tourism culture online.
‘We are the dirtiest country in the world’
The video begins with Shenaz standing at a railway station in Sri Lanka, showing the number of foreign tourists there. She stressed that even though Sri Lanka is right next to India, it has more ‘foreign tourists and good quality tourists’ who spend money. Why? Because they are clean, she noted.
“Look at the dustbins they have at the station. Look at the number of foreigners travelling. India is losing its tourism because we are dirty. I mean, we could have so many tourists in India, but we don’t. Because, let’s face it, we are the dirtiest country in the world,” she expressed with a sense of disappointment.
Why are we accepting filth as normal?
She also highlighted the fact that a patriotic country is not just about flags and slogans, but also about respecting the land. She also questioned the government in the post’s caption, writing, “Why does our government not fine people for throwing trash everywhere and spitting? Why are we accepting filth as normal? Why are rivers full of plastic? Why are tourists seeing garbage beside mountains, beaches and temples? Why are we not shaming litterbugs?”
She also compared Sri Lanka and India, noting how, despite being a small country, the civic sense there is remarkable. “Sri Lanka — a country tiny compared to India — welcomed around 2.36 million tourists in 2025, and tourism earned them over $3.2 billion. And almost every traveller says the same thing after visiting Sri Lanka: Cleaner streets. Less chaos. Better tourist experience. India’s own tourism reports mention that poor hygiene, sanitation and infrastructure are major reasons for lower tourist footfall,” Shenaaz pointed out.
How did the internet react?
Instagram users supported Shenaz’s views and stressed the importance of civic sense. “I was in Sri Lanka, and it was not just clean — the people were also very friendly, respectful, and kind. But sadly, in India, many people behave very rudely, and sometimes even Indians don’t feel safe or respected by other Indians. We often treat one another differently instead of showing basic respect and care. A country becomes beautiful not only by roads or buildings, but by the way people treat each other,” a user commented.
Someone else wrote, “Umm, because upper caste and upper class people expect other people to clean up after them.” Another commented, “I asked a Local Sri Lankan how they do it? He said that if we even eat a banana, the peel goes in our pocket, till we find the next Bin. It’s in their DNA somehow. In ours, it is to throw it in the first street we see.” “It’s not just about laws. It’s about people’s mindset and civic sense,” someone noted.
A user cautioned Shenaz and wrote, “Be ready to be called anti-national since you spoke facts.”
Note to readers: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
