World Tourism Day 2026: Jhanak Actor Sshrey Pareek's Guide to Responsible Travel

He also believes tourism can lift local communities, provided visitors respect them. "I believe tourism can benefit local communities without harming their culture and environment. On a personal level, I always try to nurture and live their culture when I travel to a place, and I always try to protect their environment at any cost. I genuinely respect and admire it when other tourists do the same."

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The Worry About Fading Authenticity

The actor voices concern that cities are slowly losing their character. "In metro cities, we are losing the culture and authenticity, though I wish it shouldn't happen. We need to protect it. When cities give us such a warm welcome, it is our responsibility to be responsible in every way."

"They Throw Garbage All Over"

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His sharpest remarks are about behaviour. "What I have seen is that the majority of tourists don't respect the environment. They throw garbage all over and don't treat the places well. Many tourists travel to chill or party, but we shouldn't forget to behave responsibly and keep the environment at its best."

It is a notable statement from an actor whose next film carries the title Oye Chill Maar. His point is not that travellers shouldn't unwind, but that relaxing and responsibility can coexist.

Social Media: Better and Worse, Both

Sshrey offers a balanced take on the Instagram effect on travel. "I think it has made things better and worse, both. Social media has surely shown us the beauty of cities and introduced us to cultures and places we may never have known about. It has definitely given us amazing itineraries. But it has also made some places overcrowded and messy, which I feel is definitely harming the environment of these cities."

Why It Matters: A Timely Echo of This Year's Theme

His comments land in a year when technology sits at the centre of the global conversation. UN Tourism has set the World Tourism Day 2026 theme as "Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism", and El Salvador is hosting this year's celebration. The focus is on using technology and AI to reshape tourism, from better visitor experiences to sustainability through innovation.

Sshrey's view adds a grounded counterpoint. Digital tools can send crowds to a place faster than ever, but whether that place survives the attention still depends on how each visitor behaves.

Unexplored Over Iconic

Given a choice, Sshrey would skip the famous spot. "An unexplored local gem for sure. I think it is a visionary aspect. Being at an unexplored place takes us closer to nature and culture. We are in the moment experiencing something we haven't seen anywhere, which definitely keeps us excited and curious about the place."

The Bottom Line

For Sshrey, sustainable tourism does not start with policy. It starts with simple habits. "Cleanliness and behaviour are really, really important for us to maintain sustainability. We just can't go to a place, make it a mess, come back and say, 'You know, you should go to that place,' which we have already spoiled," he concludes.

As Oye Chill Maar approaches release, the actor's message for fans this World Tourism Day is simple: travel curious, travel light, and leave nothing behind but footprints.