French model and influencer Fiona Allison experienced the “full Indian experience” when she was surrounded by a crowd of Desi men seeking “selfies” in Delhi. The Bayonne-born OnlyFans creator shared a glimpse of her celebrity-like reception at Kartavya Path, and the video has sparked outrage regarding the mobbing that foreign women often face in the country.
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Traveling in India with Europeans has been the cringiest experience of my life. The cringe doubles up if the European is a female. pic.twitter.com/cbC3LNdwBI
— Jayant Bhandari (@JayantBhandari5) November 1, 2024
Allison, who resides in Mumbai and boasts over two million followers on Instagram, witnessed the phenomenon last July as selfie-seekers flocked to her. The footage has been referenced on the social media platform X as a cautionary example, prompting suggestions for ethnically distinct female travelers to “avoid India.”
One comment stated, “All western and East Asian tourists, especially females should avoid India. If anything untoward happens, please don’t expect any help—the govt to the police is fully corrupt. It is a land of scammers, uncouth and morally corrupt dehati predators.”
Another user expressed, “Thank god I’m not born in north India. These filthy dehatis are destroying India’s image. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh are the states to avoid travel by foreigners. Visit Bengaluru or any southern states; you won’t face this issue!!”
Some individuals shared their own experiences of similar situations as foreigners or while accompanying women of other nationalities during sightseeing in India. One commenter noted, “My wife is Canadian. She does not like crowds as is. When we traveled to India, had to compromise on not seeing the popular places simply in anticipation of this behavior. The odd time it did happen, we simply left from the place.”
However, Allison did not criticize the crowd behavior. She captioned the controversial video with “Souvenirs from Delhi,” embracing the affection and recognition she receives in India. In 2023, Allison was honored as the “Most Glamorous International Model” at the sixth India International Influencer Awards, where actor Tusshar Kapoor presented her with the trophy.