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Doctor recalls Switzerland hotel's buffet warning to Indian tourists: 'Don't pack buffet items'
A doctor has sparked a discussion online after sharing an incident where a Switzerland hotel singled out Indian tourists in a buffet warning.
A doctor’s post on X recalling a hotel stay in Switzerland has gone viral after he shared how a notice at the property specifically addressed “Indian tourists” and advised them not to pack buffet food into their purses. In his post, Arshiet Dhamnaskar said the message left him “hurt,” not because of its content but because of how it was worded.
Recounting the incident, Dhamnaskar wrote, “A few years ago, I was in Switzerland with my family. Behind the hotel room door, there was a long message which could be summarised as: ‘Don’t pack buffet items into your purses. If you want, we can give you separately packed food items.’”
The doctor added that while hotel buffets are often advertised as “unlimited,” it is not meant to be taken literally. “It’s ‘unlimited,’ but not really ‘unlimited’ that you hoard it all into your bag and get free food for life,” he wrote, clarifying that he understood the reasoning behind it.
However, he said what truly upset him was that it unfairly singled out Indian visitors. “The one real thing that hurt me was that the message could have been addressed to anyone and everyone. But it specifically started with: ‘Dear Indian tourists,’” he explained.
(Also Read: Russian woman debunks 'outdated stereotypes' about India: 'There are different sides to the country')
How did social media react?
The post, which has crossed 300,000 views, drew mixed responses online. While some users agreed that the message reflected an unfair stereotype about Indian travellers, others felt it may have been prompted by repeated incidents.
“Boss, it may be a fact that Indian tourists' conduct is questionable. But in case you dont know, Indians are not alone in this packing free breakfast phenomenon. I have seen multiple South Korean & Chinese corporate guests at top 5-star hotels in India doing the same,” one user wrote.
“I have seen Europeans and Americans stuffing their purses with breakfast buffet too, wonder why only target Indian tourists,” commented another.
“It's not that, it is done only by Indians, I have seen many white people doing it too, but the behaviour of Indians is on another level,” remarked a third user.
“Damn! That sucks but, unfortunately it’s 100% true. Indian tourists are the worst,” wrote one user.
