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Recent geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan have had an unexpected impact on the travel patterns of Indian tourists.
The conflict escalated after a deadly attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) last month, which New Delhi claimed was supported by Islamabad. Pakistan denied any involvement and called for an independent probe.
Despite this, military confrontations ensued when India targeted what it described as “terrorist camps” in Pakistan. The two nations agreed on a ceasefire last Saturday, which has largely held since.
During the conflict, Turkiye and Azerbaijan openly expressed support for Pakistan. Both countries are popular budget travel destinations for Indian tourists, but this political stance has caused a sharp decline in bookings from India.
Impact on Travel Bookings
Major Indian travel booking platforms report a dramatic drop in demand for trips to Turkiye and Azerbaijan:
- MakeMyTrip reported a 60% decrease in bookings and a 250% surge in cancellations over the past week for both countries.
- EaseMyTrip’s CEO, Rikant Pittie, highlighted a 22% rise in cancellations for Turkiye and 30% for Azerbaijan, attributing the drop to ongoing geopolitical tensions.
- ixigo, another travel platform, announced it would suspend flight and hotel bookings for Turkiye, Azerbaijan, and China.
Indian travellers are now turning to alternative destinations such as Georgia, Serbia, Greece, Thailand, and Vietnam, reflecting a shift away from countries perceived to be politically aligned against India.
EaseMyTrip’s founder and chairman, Nishant Pitti, shared data indicating that in the previous year, around 287,000 Indians visited Turkiye and 243,000 visited Azerbaijan.
Pitti questioned the ethics of continuing to support tourism in nations openly backing Pakistan, stating,
“When these nations openly support Pakistan, should we fuel their tourism and their economies?”
Azerbaijan and Turkiye, meanwhile, remain firm in their support for Pakistan.
