Indian Tourism and Governance: The “OTT Moment” is Here
International travel, OTT and Social media has changed Indians forever!!
Indian tourism and governance are staring toward their “OTT moment.” Not very long ago, Bollywood ruled the Indian entertainment industry. A whole generation, from newspaper columnists to average Joes, used to wait for the latest weekly release. Then, out of nowhere, OTT happened when platforms like Netflix and Amazon brought global content to Indian audiences!
Suddenly, the masses could see what world-class storytelling and production looked like, and expectations shifted overnight. People didn’t just demand better; they knew better existed. The same is happening in tourism.
As Indians travel to places like Vietnam, Dubai, Sri Lanka, Thailand, etc they’re waking up to a new reality. These countries, with comparable or lower tax-to-GDP ratios, are delivering a far superior experience: better roads, cleaner cities, cheaper yet premium hotels, and an overall smoother, more enjoyable travel ecosystem.
Once you’ve seen a world where airports and overall transportation don’t feel like chaos incarnate, where public transport is efficient, and where everything works without endless red tape or hidden charges, it’s hard to unsee it.
And here’s the kicker: this shift in awareness is not just about travel. It’s a referendum on governance.
Indians are beginning to ask uncomfortable questions: If these countries can do it, why can’t we? We’re paying similar or even higher taxes*, where is the value for that money? This is not just an existential crisis for the tourism industry; it’s a wake-up call for the Indian ruling and administrative class, that has always used the EU Tax GDP* ratio to shame the local population and justify the poor state of overall service delivery and equally shabby infrastructure.
Just like Bollywood is thinking hard ( though not with much success) its formula to stay relevant, India’s governance machinery now faces the same challenge. How will they respond? Will we see genuine attempts to improve infrastructure, simplify regulations, and deliver value? Or will it be business as usual until the pressure boils over? Or like always, will Indian ruling class remain oblivious to the natives?
This isn’t just about tourism. It’s about India realizing that in a globally connected world, there’s no hiding behind excuses anymore. Expectations have shifted, delivery has not and that is the moment of reckoning India faces now!
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*While the tax GDP ratio of the EU nation is in the range of 40%, the Tax GDP ratio of Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia with similar income profiles is lower than India. The tax-GDP ratio of India is approximately 17.4% of GDP while Vietnam is Around 15.5% of GDP, Thailand is approximately 16.8% of GDP and Indonesia is approximately about 10.6% of GDP while China is higher than India at approximately 19.4% of GDP)
We Indians, need law to recall our elected leaders, be it MLA or MLC or MP (RS MP), in case of failures by the representatives. Law need not ask for all voters, but can ask few (say 5%) voters overall (in a constituency) ask for recall. Because, 5% is equal to or more than 30% of votes polled to an elected person, especially when voting percentage is not more than 60%. Recalled representative should not be given any benefit like a retired representative. No litigation should be permitted. Of course, the signature records with voter-id and results should be preserved. Re-election should be considered. Of course, this leads to constant campaign, results, etc. Thus, recalling, re-election should be allowed around mid-term of 5 year term of rlected body.