Indian travelers are rapidly canceling vacations to Türkiye and Azerbaijan after both nations publicly expressed support for Pakistan during its recent military tensions with India, according to travel booking companies.
Relations between India and Pakistan sharply deteriorated following a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last month, which New Delhi blamed on Islamabad. Although Pakistan denied involvement, cross-border hostilities intensified after India claimed to have targeted “terrorist camps” within Pakistan. A ceasefire was later agreed upon and has largely remained in effect.
In the wake of the conflict, Türkiye and Azerbaijan issued statements siding with Pakistan, prompting backlash from Indian tourists. These countries, known for offering affordable travel options, have since experienced a dramatic drop in Indian bookings.
A spokesperson for MakeMyTrip reported that bookings to both Türkiye and Azerbaijan have fallen by 60% over the past week, while cancellations have surged by 250%.
EaseMyTrip CEO Rikant Pittie confirmed a similar trend, noting a 22% spike in cancellations for Türkiye and a 30% increase for Azerbaijan, attributing the decline to the ongoing geopolitical fallout. He added that Indian tourists are now opting for alternative destinations such as Georgia, Serbia, Greece, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Meanwhile, travel aggregator ixigo announced via social media that it has halted flight and hotel bookings for Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and China.
EaseMyTrip co-founder Nishant Pitti also weighed in, pointing out that 287,000 Indians traveled to Türkiye last year and 243,000 to Azerbaijan. He questioned the rationale of supporting tourism in countries that openly back Pakistan, asking, “When these nations stand with Pakistan, should we be boosting their tourism industries?”
