The continued war between India and Pakistan has ignited widespread outrage in India, particularly after Turkey and Azerbaijan spoke out in solidarity with Pakistan. In turn, several Indians have stood behind the boycott call. Major travel organizations, such as EaseMyTrip, Cox & Kings, and Pickyourtrail, have cancelled all tours to Turkey and Azerbaijan, following in the footsteps of the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), which has directed all agencies to stop promoting these destinations.
The social media sites are abuzz with the hashtag #BoycottTurkey, and numerous citizens are upset over the pro-Pak stance, especially with India’s issues concerning terrorism. This boycott has crossed borders beyond tourism to include trade suspension and cessation of cultural exchange with these countries.
India has never practised tolerance towards terrorism and has recently reflected the same spirit through its boycott. Foreign policy is individual to each nation, but in the case of India, protecting the citizens tops its agenda. National security is threatened by those countries that fund or provide haven to terrorists, and India has announced that these measures will never go unchecked.
The India-Pakistan conflict is political, but also deeply entrenched in national security issues. The assistance offered by Turkey and Azerbaijan to Pakistan, which India accuses of supporting terrorism, has resulted in this Indian citizen backlash. The message is clear: terrorism cannot be supported, and no destination for travel should ever be at the expense of security.
Turkey and Azerbaijan have been favourite travel destinations for Indians for a long time. Indeed, in 2024, practically 330,000 Indians travelled to Turkey, earning the nation a considerable amount of tourism income. Nevertheless, due to the current boycott, both nations now risk losing this profitable market. The effect on tourism earnings would be drastic, as Indian tourists who used to throng these places are now diverting their attention to other nations such as Armenia and Greece, which are seen as being more in line with India’s interests.
This reduction in Indian tourists would severely impact the tourism sector in Turkey and Azerbaijan, impacting hotels, tour operators, and other industries that rely on foreign tourists.
