Indian Tourists Boycott Turkey And Azerbaijan Over Pro-Pakistan Stance, Cancellations Surge 250%
New Delhi: A sharp backlash is sweeping across India’s travel industry as thousands of Indian tourists cancel their trips to Turkey and Azerbaijan in protest against both countries’ support for Pakistan amid military tensions with India. The fallout follows public statements from countries backing Islamabad after Operation Sindoor and the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir.
Turkey called for an international investigation into the Pahalgam attack, while Azerbaijan issued a statement aligning closely with Pakistan’s narrative. Both nations’ positions have triggered a wave of cancellations and social media-led calls for a nationwide travel boycott.
Major Indian travel platforms are already witnessing the effects. A spokesperson for MakeMyTrip shared that bookings to Turkey and Azerbaijan have dropped by 60% over the past week, with cancellations spiking by 250%. EaseMyTrip CEO Rikant Pittie confirmed a similar trend, stating that cancellations for Turkey rose by 22% and for Azerbaijan by 30%, with Indian travelers now opting for alternative destinations such as Georgia, Serbia, Greece, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Travel aggregator Ixigo also announced it is temporarily suspending all flight and hotel bookings to Turkey, Azerbaijan, and China, amid growing customer sentiment against these countries.
Meanwhile, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), a prominent organization representing Indian business owners, has urged citizens to boycott travel to both Turkey and Azerbaijan. CAIT plans to collaborate with travel operators to amplify the boycott campaign. A final decision on suspending trade with the two nations will be taken during a national conference of trade leaders on May 16 in New Delhi.
Praveen Khandelwal, CAIT Secretary General and Member of Parliament, emphasized the potential economic repercussions, particularly on tourism revenues. According to official 2024 figures, Turkey welcomed 62.2 million foreign tourists, including nearly 300,000 Indians, marking a 20.7% increase over the previous year. With an average spend of $972 per Indian tourist, the estimated revenue loss from India could amount to $291.6 million. This figure doesn’t include further losses from canceled Indian weddings, corporate retreats, and cultural programs once planned in Turkey.
EaseMyTrip Chairman Nishant Pitti took to social media platform ‘X’, noting that 287,000 Indians visited Turkey and 243,000 visited Azerbaijan in the previous year alone. “When these nations openly support Pakistan, should we fuel their tourism and their economies?” he questioned.
With cancellations mounting and a collective movement gaining steam, the boycott against Turkey and Azerbaijan marks a growing intersection between geopolitics and tourism.