- Kolkata has long drawn travellers with its rich culture, historic landmarks and unmistakable charm.
- But one travel vlogger’s recent experience raised questions about how welcoming and tourist-friendly it is.
- From a turbulent landing to first moments after stepping off the plane, the vlogger shared his experiences.
Kolkata has long drawn travellers with its rich culture, historic landmarks and unmistakable charm. But one travel vlogger's recent experience in the city has raised a different question: how welcoming and tourist-friendly is the City of Joy for visitors?
Sean Travels, who arrived in Kolkata after travelling from Chiang Mai via Bangkok, shared a glimpse of his journey with his social media followers.
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From a particularly turbulent landing to his first moments after stepping off the plane, the vlogger documented his experience in the city, sparking an online conversation about what it is really like to travel through Kolkata as a tourist.
In the Instagram video caption, he wrote, “That landing was honestly one of the worst landings I've ever had. It was like bumpy all the way down. Felt we were going to crash at one point. It was insane. So right when we got off the plane of Kolkata, we had to get our suitcase. And that was very easy,” he said.
While baggage collection proved straightforward, navigating immigration presented unexpected delays due to administrative requirements. Despite clear lanes, entry was delayed by nearly an hour after officials requested a physical arrival card for his e-Visa status. The content creator highlighted that clear guidance regarding this paperwork was missing during the process, creating unnecessary confusion for incoming international travellers.
“But immigration, thankfully there was nobody in line, but they didn't tell me that I had to do an arrival card because I have the e-visa…nothing said e-visa that you need an arrival card. So I didn't know that. So that took about an hour to fill out. And then we got through immigration.”
The most significant challenges occurred within the arrival terminal, where the vlogger reported a lack of essential tourist amenities. He noted an absence of foreign currency exchange counters and accessible ATMs throughout the airport, leaving him unable to obtain local currency. Coupled with a non-functional local SIM card upon arrival, establishing immediate connectivity proved impossible.
The journey concluded with difficulties securing onward transport from the terminal. Negotiating a fare with a local taxi driver presented immediate communication barriers due to limited English comprehension.
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His observations quickly drew a range of responses online. While some echoed his criticisms, others rallied to defend the city's reputation, maintaining that Kolkata remains one of the safest and most welcoming urban destinations in the region for international visitors.
“A Kolkata resident here. Kolkata is the most foreign-friendly metro city in India- you won't be stared or asked to click pictures with them, very few chances of food poisoning and also little to no scammers, especially compared to other Indian cities,” commented one user.
“The 3 major entry points- CCU Airport, Howrah Station and Sealdah Station are backdated and the government has done nothing to upgrade it and sadly this is what creates the first impression. Kolkata suffers from horrible infrastructure for tourists but once you bypass these 3 entry points, you'll see this is one of the most peaceful, colourful, and hospitable metro cities in India,” the user added.
