A Western traveler of South Asian descent asked a question that many won't voice publicly: which countries treat you fairly regardless of ethnicity?
The honest query opened a flood of responses revealing an uncomfortable truth about global tourism—that passport privilege and racial bias can make or break a trip, even when travelers are spending the same money.
"I like to travel but I realized alot of people treat me differently in some countries because I am South Asian despite being from the West," the traveler wrote. "These experiences can ruin the trip sometimes."
The Double Standard in Action
Travelers in the discussion described being treated differently than their white companions despite holding the same passports, speaking the same language, and wearing similar clothes. The differential treatment ranges from subtle (cooler service at restaurants) to overt (security scrutiny, taxi overcharging, or outright hostility).
This isn't about nationality discrimination—which affects travelers from certain countries regardless of ethnicity. This is about phenotype bias: being treated worse because of how you look, even when your passport says you're from a wealthy Western nation.
Where Equality Reportedly Matters
Commenters highlighted several regions where travelers of South Asian descent reported fair treatment:
Portugal and Spain received consistent praise for treating tourists equally regardless of appearance. The Iberian Peninsula's multicultural history and tourism-dependent economies seem to foster more equitable hospitality.
Southeast Asia (particularly Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia) earned mentions for treating all foreign tourists similarly—though travelers noted that being perceived as wealthy matters more than ethnicity in these destinations.
Japan received mixed feedback. While customer service remains universally polite, some travelers reported feeling the weight of being perceived as "foreign" regardless of ethnicity, while others found it refreshingly indifferent to racial background.
Regions With Reported Problems
Several areas drew complaints about differential treatment:
Parts of Eastern Europe received mentions for less welcoming attitudes toward non-white tourists, though specific experiences varied widely by country.
Some Gulf states perpetuate visible hierarchies based on nationality and perceived ethnicity, though this affects residents more acutely than tourists.
Even within Western Europe, travelers reported occasional profiling at borders, stores, and restaurants that white companions didn't experience.
The Passport Privilege Paradox
This issue highlights a paradox in travel: powerful passports grant visa-free access to many countries, but they don't guarantee equal treatment once you arrive. A British or American passport opens doors—but it doesn't prevent shopkeepers from following you, border agents from asking extra questions, or locals from assuming you're a migrant worker rather than a tourist.
According to the Henley Passport Index, passports from the US, UK, Canada, and Australia rank among the world's most powerful. Yet that access doesn't translate to equal experiences for all citizens.
What Equitable Tourism Looks Like
The traveler's request was simple: "I do not want to get treated better or worse just the same as any other tourist."
That baseline—being treated like any other paying customer—shouldn't be exceptional. Yet it apparently is in enough places to warrant asking for guidance before booking flights.
Some commenters suggested that explicitly tourist-dependent destinations tend to be more equitable, because businesses can't afford to alienate paying customers based on appearance. Others noted that major cities with diverse populations generally treat minorities better than rural areas.
The Unspoken Cost of Discrimination
This conversation rarely happens in mainstream travel media, which tends to focus on logistics (visas, flights, hotels) while ignoring the social experience of actually being in a place as a person of color.
But for millions of travelers, these considerations shape every itinerary decision. Should I visit that country where I might face extra scrutiny? Is that destination worth the emotional tax of being treated as suspicious? Will my companion and I have dramatically different experiences because of our skin tone?
These aren't hypothetical concerns—they're real factors that travelers of color navigate constantly while planning trips.
As global tourism grows and diversifies, the industry faces a choice: continue treating travel discrimination as an unspoken reality, or actively work toward equitable experiences regardless of travelers' ethnicity. For now, travelers of color continue sharing information among themselves about where they'll be welcomed—and where they won't.
