Indian travellers are pulling back from popular holiday spots Türkiye and Azerbaijan after both countries expressed support for Pakistan during recent tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi, according to major travel platforms.
Relations between India and Pakistan deteriorated following a deadly incident in Indian-administered Kashmir last month. India blamed Pakistan for backing the attack — a claim Islamabad denied. The situation escalated when Indian forces targeted what they described as “terrorist camps” inside Pakistan. A ceasefire was later agreed, and has mostly held since.
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Following the airstrikes, Türkiye and Azerbaijan issued statements siding with Pakistan, prompting a sharp reaction from Indian tourists.
Travel agency MakeMyTrip reported a 60% decline in bookings for both destinations over the past week. Cancellations, it added, had increased by 250% during the same period.
EaseMyTrip’s CEO, Rikant Pittie, confirmed a significant jump in cancellations — 22% for Türkiye and 30% for Azerbaijan. He noted that Indian travellers are now opting for alternative destinations such as Georgia, Serbia, Greece, Thailand, and Vietnam.
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Another platform, ixigo, stated on X that it would halt bookings to Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and China in response to the geopolitical developments.
EaseMyTrip’s co-founder Nishant Pitti also posted that 287,000 Indian tourists visited Türkiye last year, with 243,000 heading to Azerbaijan. He questioned whether Indian citizens should continue supporting the economies of nations that publicly back Pakistan.