New Delhi, May 14 (UNI) Amid rising diplomatic tensions following Turkiye and Azerbaijan’s public support for Pakistan in the aftermath of India’s Operation Sindoor, Indian travellers are increasingly boycotting trips to the two nations.
Online travel platform MakeMyTrip on Wednesday reported a sharp decline in interest, with bookings to Turkiye and Azerbaijan down by 60 percent over the past week and cancellations surging by 250 percent during the same period.
“In solidarity with our nation and out of deep respect for our armed forces, we strongly support this sentiment and advise against all non-essential travel to Azerbaijan and Turkiye,” a MakeMyTrip spokesperson said.
The company has also discontinued all promotional campaigns and offers for these destinations.
The development comes as the broader travel industry aligns with the prevailing public mood.
Travel agency Cox & Kings has also suspended all packages to the two countries, urging customers to defer or avoid travel.
The Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) has called for a collective boycott, advising all affiliated agencies to suspend the promotion and sale of tours to Turkiye and Azerbaijan.
Prominent public figures have backed the move. Industrialist Harsh Goenka noted that Indian tourists contribute over Rs 4,000 crore annually to the economies of Turkiye and Azerbaijan, arguing that a tourism boycott would send a strong economic message in response to their diplomatic stance.
The backlash intensified after a letter from Turkiye’s Department of Tourism appealing to Indian tourists not to cancel their travel plans went viral. The appeal was widely criticised as insensitive, triggering outrage on social media under the slogan “Indians won’t fund blood money.”
Both countries had until recently seen a significant uptick in Indian tourist arrivals. Between January and May 2024, Turkiye recorded a 34 percent increase in visitors from India, while Azerbaijan saw a 2.7-fold rise compared to the same period last year.
However, the sharp shift in sentiment following recent geopolitical developments has prompted Indian travellers and the tourism sector to take a clear stand, with a wave of cancellations and policy reversals signalling a broader national response.
