Thousands of Indians called for boycotting travel to Turkey and Azerbaijan amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan and following reports that the two countries had expressed support for Pakistan.
"Tourism is a choice. So is dignity", read a widely shared post on social media, while another one stated: “2.4 lakh Indians travelled to Azerbaijan, 3.3 lakh Indians travelled to Turkey in 2024. Why fund Pakistan’s allies? Support India’s friends-Armenia and Greece!."
Himanshu Patil, director, Kesari Tours, and president, Outbound Tour Operators Association of India (OTOAI) said enquiries have started coming in from travellers who are looking at cancelling plans of travelling to the destinations.
“Both the countries had become quite popular. The developments are going to impact bookings to the two countries and they should. Travel is my business, but people are right in thinking this way,” said Patil.
“Today, the morale of the nation is so high and everyone is standing firmly with our armed forces. If in such a scenario, a country is supporting our enemy, it means they are going against us. I have asked a friend who was supposed to travel to Turkey on May 14 to hold off on her plans. It is unfortunate that these countries are siding with Pakistan and going against India,” he added.
Siddharth Bakaria, founder of Goa Villas, an online platform that showcases holiday rentals and alternative accommodation options in Goa and has 117 listed properties, said he has decided not to offer any accommodation to Turkish citizens. Bakaria, who is also the founder of Go Homestays and also offers travel packages, including flight bookings for overseas countries said he was officially ending his partnership with Turkish airlines due to their unsupportive stance towards India.
“Pakistan has attacked India several times and most countries are supporting us. On the other hand, Turkey is openly supporting Pakistan. We stand with our country and have decided not to offer any accommodation to Turkish citizens in Goa,” he added.
Hashtag BoycottTurkeyAzerbaijan was trending on X on Thursday evening with over 12,000 posts after reports stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkiye and Azerbaijan had issued separate statements in support of Pakistan.
Both countries had gained considerable traction from India with better air connectivity, and marketing and promotions. Türkiye Tourism Board stated earlier this year that it welcomed 62.2 million global visitors last year and that the Indian market grew by 20.7%. “This surge can be attributed to enhanced air connectivity between major Indian cities and Turkish destinations, growing popularity among Indian wedding planners and MICE organisers, and the introduction of specialised Turkish experiences catering to Indian preferences,” the Board had stated and added that ‘strategic’ marketing initiatives in the Indian market have also played a ‘crucial’ role in positioning Türkiye as a preferred destination for Indian travellers.
As per reports, in January this year, Azerbaijan saw a considerable increase in the number of Indian visitors, and doubled its number of Indian visitors to 243,000 last year. In January, over 17,000 Indian tourists visited Azerbaijan, the highest number recorded for that month compared to previous years.Headline: Indians call for boycotting Turkey and Azerbaijan amid escalating tensions with Pakistan
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Himanshu Patil, director, Kesari Tours, and president, Outbound Tour Operators Association of India (OTOAI) said enquiries have started coming in from travellers who are looking at cancelling plans of travelling to the destinations.
“Both the countries had become quite popular. The developments are going to impact bookings to the two countries and they should. Travel is my business, but people are right in thinking this way,” said Patil.
“Today, the morale of the nation is so high and everyone is standing firmly with our armed forces. If in such a scenario, a country is supporting our enemy, it means they are going against us. I have asked a friend who was supposed to travel to Turkey on May 14 to hold off on her plans. It is unfortunate that these countries are siding with Pakistan and going against India,” he added.
Siddharth Bakaria, founder of Goa Villas, an online platform that showcases holiday rentals and alternative accommodation options in Goa and has 117 listed properties, said he has decided not to offer any accommodation to Turkish citizens. Bakaria, who is also the founder of Go Homestays and also offers travel packages, including flight bookings for overseas countries said he was officially ending his partnership with Turkish airlines due to their unsupportive stance towards India.
“Pakistan has attacked India several times and most countries are supporting us. On the other hand, Turkey is openly supporting Pakistan. We stand with our country and have decided not to offer any accommodation to Turkish citizens in Goa,” he added.
Hashtag BoycottTurkeyAzerbaijan was trending on X on Thursday evening with over 12,000 posts after reports stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkiye and Azerbaijan had issued separate statements in support of Pakistan.
Both countries had gained considerable traction from India with better air connectivity, and marketing and promotions. Türkiye Tourism Board stated earlier this year that it welcomed 62.2 million global visitors last year and that the Indian market grew by 20.7%. “This surge can be attributed to enhanced air connectivity between major Indian cities and Turkish destinations, growing popularity among Indian wedding planners and MICE organisers, and the introduction of specialised Turkish experiences catering to Indian preferences,” the Board had stated and added that ‘strategic’ marketing initiatives in the Indian market have also played a ‘crucial’ role in positioning Türkiye as a preferred destination for Indian travellers.
As per reports, in January this year, Azerbaijan saw a considerable increase in the number of Indian visitors, and doubled its number of Indian visitors to 243,000 last year. In January, over 17,000 Indian tourists visited Azerbaijan, the highest number recorded for that month compared to previous years.Headline: Indians call for boycotting Turkey and Azerbaijan amid escalating tensions with Pakistan
