BENGALURU — Indian travellers are scrapping vacation plans to Turkey and Azerbaijan in large numbers following both countries’ public support for Pakistan during its recent military tensions with India, according to major travel agencies.
The sharp diplomatic rift emerged after a terrorist attack in Kashmir last month, which India blamed on Pakistan-based groups. While Pakistan denied involvement, New Delhi responded with airstrikes targeting terror camps, triggering retaliatory shelling before a ceasefire was agreed over the weekend.
Turkey and Azerbaijan, two destinations increasingly favored by Indian tourists for their affordability and cultural appeal, issued statements aligning themselves with Islamabad. This prompted a backlash among Indian travellers, resulting in widespread cancellations.
Online travel portal MakeMyTrip reported a 60% decline in bookings for Turkey and Azerbaijan over the past week, accompanied by a 250% spike in cancellations. Rival platform EaseMyTrip echoed the trend, with its CEO Rikant Pittie noting a 22% increase in cancellations for Turkey and 30% for Azerbaijan due to the rising geopolitical tensions.
Travellers are now opting for alternative destinations such as Thailand, Greece, Vietnam, Georgia, and Serbia, Pittie added. In a statement on social media platform X, ticketing service ixigo said it had halted all flight and hotel bookings for Turkey, Azerbaijan, and China, aligning with public sentiment.
Nishant Pitti, chairman of EaseMyTrip, also weighed in on X, questioning continued tourism to nations seen as siding with Pakistan. “When these nations openly support Pakistan, should we fuel their tourism and their economies?” he asked, citing last year’s data that 287,000 Indians visited Turkey and 243,000 visited Azerbaijan.
The developments reflect a growing intersection between foreign policy and consumer behavior, as public sentiment increasingly influences international travel patterns.