Indian Travel Firms Report Sharp Decline in Turkey, Azerbaijan Bookings Amid Rising Tensions
May 15 – Indian travelers are ditching once-popular budget destinations Turkey and Azerbaijan after both countries publicly backed Pakistan in the latest wave of cross-border conflict between India and its neighbor.
Ties between India and Pakistan nosedived after a deadly attack in Indian Kashmir last month that New Delhi said was backed by Islamabad. Pakistan denied involvement, but intense fighting broke out when India struck what it said were “terrorist camps” in Pakistan last week. They agreed on a ceasefire on Saturday, which has largely held.
With 51 reported deaths in Pakistan following a series of deadly strikes, emotions are running high, and tourism is now caught in the crossfire.
Travel platform EaseMyTrip confirmed a 22% spike in cancellations for Turkey and a 30% drop in bookings for Azerbaijan, citing “recent geopolitical tensions.” CEO Rikant Pittie said Indian travelers are now pivoting toward more “neutral” destinations like Georgia, Serbia, Greece, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The shift comes after Turkey and Azerbaijan issued statements openly supporting Pakistan, with Turkish officials emphasizing Pakistan’s “right to defend its sovereignty” and Azerbaijan expressing “unwavering solidarity with its brother nation.”
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Meanwhile, another major platform, ixigo, announced via a post on X (formerly Twitter) that it is suspending all flight and hotel bookings for Turkey, Azerbaijan, and China, in light of the countries’ political stances.
The sudden geopolitical fallout has inflamed diplomatic rhetoric and triggered consumer backlash across Indian social media, with hashtags like #BoycottTurkeyTrips and #StandWithIndia gaining traction.
With the conflict showing no signs of immediate resolution, travel analysts expect the trend to intensify in the coming weeks — turning tourism into yet another battleground in South Asia’s complex political arena.
