Saturday, March 29, 2025
The situation escalated after the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which resulted in 26 fatalities. India attributed the attack to Pakistan-based militants and responded with “Operation Sindoor,” targeting nine alleged terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. In the aftermath, Turkey and Azerbaijan publicly supported Pakistan, prompting widespread calls for a boycott of these nations among Indian citizens.www.ndtv.com+2@EconomicTimes+2Wikipedia+2The Times of India+6mint+6@EconomicTimes+6@EconomicTimes+2@EconomicTimes+2@EconomicTimes+2
Leading travel agencies have reported substantial declines in bookings to Turkey and Azerbaijan:@EconomicTimes+6@EconomicTimes+6The New Indian Express+6
MakeMyTrip: Bookings to both countries have decreased by 60%, with cancellations surging by 250% in the past week. The New Indian Express+12Inc42 Media+12Business Standard+12
EaseMyTrip: Reported a 22% increase in cancellations for Turkey and a 30% rise for Azerbaijan. @EconomicTimes+1StratNews Global+1
Ixigo: Suspended all flight and hotel bookings to Turkey, Azerbaijan, and China, citing national sentiment. @EconomicTimes+1The Express Tribune+1
Additionally, MakeMyTrip has discontinued all promotions and offers related to Turkey and Azerbaijan on its platform. The New Indian Express+7The Times of India+7The Times of India+7
In response to the boycott, Indian travelers are exploring alternative destinations:Reuters+6@EconomicTimes+6www.ndtv.com+6
Europe: Russia, Germany, Czech Republic, and Hungary are gaining popularity. The Times of India
Asia: Georgia, Serbia, Greece, Thailand, and Vietnam are emerging as preferred choices. The New Indian Express+5@EconomicTimes+5The Express Tribune+5
Travel agencies are actively promoting these destinations to accommodate the changing preferences of Indian tourists.@EconomicTimes+5@EconomicTimes+5@EconomicTimes+5
The boycott has garnered support from various quarters:@EconomicTimes+1@EconomicTimes+1
Harsh Goenka, industrialist: Urged Indians to avoid Turkey and Azerbaijan, highlighting that Indian tourists contributed over โน4,000 crore to their economies last year. Reuters+4@EconomicTimes+4www.ndtv.com+4
Nishant Pitti, CEO of EaseMyTrip: Emphasized the company’s alignment with national sentiment and advised against non-essential travel to the two countries. @EconomicTimes+4Business Standard+4mint+4
Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) and Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI): Declared a boycott of Turkey and Azerbaijan, urging members to suspend bookings to these destinations. www.ndtv.com+5@EconomicTimes+5The Times of India+5
The tourism boycott is expected to have significant economic repercussions for Turkey and Azerbaijan. With Indian tourists contributing substantially to their tourism revenues, the decline in visitors could impact local businesses and the broader economy.www.ndtv.com+2@EconomicTimes+2@EconomicTimes+2
