'I can’t enjoy my city anymore': Udaipur resident calls over-tourism 'draining', sparks discussion

The resident also pointed to cultural shifts linked to tourism, particularly in food terminology.

A post shared on Reddit by a resident of Udaipur has triggered an online discussion about congestion, rising expenses and cultural change in the Rajasthan city, which is widely promoted as one of India’s most popular tourist destinations.

In the post, the resident described feeling overwhelmed by the number of visitors and said daily life in the city had become increasingly difficult. Traffic conditions were singled out as a major concern, with the user stating that congestion had reached an unmanageable level across large parts of the city.

“As a local I can’t enjoy my city anymore. Too many people. Just too many. The traffic at each and every corner is unbearable, and it’s just extremely sad,” the post read. The writer added, “People are welcome to the city but at this point it’s just shit ton of people and I am tired of it.”

The post went on to describe how public spaces and familiar neighbourhood spots no longer felt accessible. “For f***s sake I can’t sit and chill at any of my earlier places. None,” the user wrote.

While acknowledging that visitors had every right to be in the city, the resident argued that the scale of tourism was taking a toll on those who live there. “Guests are welcome at home, it’s your right to be here – but it’s draining the s**t out of the people who live here,” the post stated.

The Redditor also expressed concern about long-term changes to the city, suggesting that unregulated tourism and commercial pressures could permanently alter its character. The post called for some form of regulation, saying, “There should be a pass sort of thing otherwise in a few years we will loose the essence of city to tourism, greed of property, exploitation of mountains to build new hotels, and the things that were meant to be enjoyed like the lakes and all – everything will be commercialised to an extent that would prevent us, the locals from even taking a breath for free.”

Too many tourists byu/Philosoul inudaipur

Rising costs were highlighted as another visible change. The user wrote that places once freely accessible now required payment. “I am already crying in corner that a lot of change is already visible, the tickets have become costly. As a kid I used to go to Sajjangarhfor free, now it’s costly, sunset points in the city have all been made paid or free ones are filled up with people like they're ants on sugar,” the post said.

The resident also pointed to cultural shifts linked to tourism, particularly in food terminology. According to the post, traditional local snacks were being renamed to cater to visitors. “Items that I love like namkeen, have been renamed to ‘farsaan’ to serve the Gujrati tourists. Like for f***s sake it was namkeen, kachori, bhujia, chakli and not farsaan,” the user wrote.

Concluding the post, the Redditor expressed uncertainty about how the situation could be resolved, describing the changes as deeply upsetting. “I don’t know how this situation will resolve itself – but it’s extremely sad to see my home city being fucked up like this,” the post said.

The post drew significant engagement from other Reddit users, many of whom said they shared similar frustrations. One user commented, “Same here. Can totally relate to you. Also, to the people who keep asking for 'the hidden spots.' I want to keep our hidden spots hidden.”

Another user pointed to the duration of tourist crowds, writing, “Same here, in Mysore. Another tourist destination. We are tired of tourism. In fact, I have advocated a ban on tourism for the next five years. Let the places recover. Over-tourism is a real problem now.”

A third user offered advice to visitors, stating, “The problem is peak season never seems to end.”