Indian tourists are now boycotting Turkey and Azerbaijan after both countries showed support for Pakistan during recent border tensions with India.
This backlash has led to a noticeable drop in tourism to these two countries, with more than 2,000 ticket cancellations reported.
Social media users and civil groups have been actively calling for a boycott, and the impact is now clearly visible in the travel industry.
Surge in Ticket Cancellations
According to travel agencies and online platforms, bookings for Turkey and Azerbaijan have sharply declined over the past few days.
Tourists are now opting for alternative destinations. Travel experts estimate that between May and July 2025, around 2,000 booking cancellations were made for Istanbul and Baku by Indian and international airlines.
A senior official from a major airline told Moneycontrol, “In just the past week, around 2,000 bookings for Istanbul and Baku were either cancelled or postponed.”
Though these cancellations represent only 5% of total traffic, if the protests continue, the tourism sector in both countries could suffer significant losses in the near future.
Azerbaijan’s Growing Role in Tourism
Despite the current backlash, a senior International Air Transport Association (IATA) official noted that Azerbaijan is emerging as a key travel and transport hub in Eurasia.
Its influence in the global tourism and airline sectors is expected to grow in the coming years.
Shift in Indian Tourist Preferences
Sabina Chopra, COO and co-founder of Yatra, shared that since May 7, over 50% of holiday packages to Turkey and Azerbaijan have been cancelled.
Instead, Indian travelers are now choosing destinations like Dubai, Europe, Thailand, Greece, and the Maldives.
Travel company Cleartrip also reported a 260% rise in cancellations to Turkey and Azerbaijan last week.
In a statement, the company said, “We stand with our country. We urge travelers to delay their trips to these destinations in solidarity.”
MakeMyTrip, India’s biggest online travel platform, echoed this sentiment. According to their May 14 statement:
Bookings to Turkey and Azerbaijan are down 60%
Cancellations have surged by 250%
Promotions and travel offers for these destinations have been completely removed
MMT added, “While we still allow bookings to Turkey and Azerbaijan, we respect national sentiment and urge travelers to avoid non-essential trips to these countries.”
Flights Still Operating Normally
Despite the growing backlash, flights between India and Turkey/Azerbaijan have not been cancelled.
Data from FlightRadar24 shows regular flights between India and Turkey. Currently, IndiGo is the only airline flying between Delhi and Baku, and all flights have been operating as scheduled.
Govind Gaur, CEO and founder of WanderOne, added, “There have been no recent inquiries for Turkey trips.
Most Indian travelers are either cancelling or rescheduling their bookings to other countries.”
