Wrong portrayal of city irks Chennaiites

Chennaiites today are an angry lot and they have a good reason to be. Recently a reader of Deccan Chronicle pointed out the website of originally one of the most popular travel guides, Lonely Planet which described Chennai in what he and many other Chennaiites believe is disparaging. The introduction to the city reads like this: “Chennai has neither the cosmopolitan, prosperous air of Mumbai (Bombay), the optimistic buzz of Bengaluru (Bangalore) or the historical drama of Delhi. It’s muggy, polluted, hot as hell and difficult to get around. Traditional tourist attractions are few. Even the movie stars are, as one Chennaiker (sic) put it, ‘not that hot’.”
While the review goes on to describe the locals as a little friendlier than average and humble, the overall description has got several hardcore Chennaiites up in arms, as they believe that such an introduction conveys the wrong idea about the city to tourists. Vimal Abraham, a marketing manager with an MNC who brought this matter to the attention of this newspaper says, “My primary concern is that the review appears very biased with more emphasis on the negatives of the city rather than giving a balanced viewpoint on the same. Where else do you find tourist-friendly autos and hop on and off buses in the same state?”
Even the other so-called shortcomings of the city pale in comparison to what many other parts of India are subjected to. Abhishek Damani, an independent professional from the travel industry says, “The writer of this review has not done his research properly or travelled or lived in the city extensively to understand what it’s all about.”
In fact, even foreigners living in Chennai feel that the summary of the city as reported on the site does not paint a true picture. Marie Paule Serre, the director of Alliance Francaise of Madras, who has been living in Chennai for about three years now says that Chennai is one of the best cities she has ever been in. “I often travel to other metros in India and I have understood that Chennai is more peaceful than them.” According to politician S. Ve Shekhar, one must take these suggestions positively and try to prove them otherwise. “Exaggerating the pollution and lack of historical places to visit is not acceptable. But our city does have room for improvement,” he says.

Citizens speak out

Abhishek Damani, travel professional

Chennai happens to be one of the most tourist friendly destinations in the country. Delhi and Goa are rife with cases of tourists being assaulted or kidnapped, which is not the case with Chennai. And it’s safer to travel late at night here than in any other city in India.

Marie Paule Serre, director of Alliance Francaise

Chennai is more peaceful than many other metros. Kolkata and Mumbai are so much more polluted than Chennai, so how can one pinpoint our city in such a negative vein? We have one of the longest seashores in the world and the people here are so good-natured and ready to help you at the drop of a hat.

S. Ve Shekhar, politician

Exaggerating the pollution and lack of historical places to visit is not acceptable. But our city does have room for improvement. Whether it is a pedestrian platform or following traffic rules, we need to work harder to make the city more tourist friendly.