Hundreds of Indian travellers are cancelling plans to visit Turkey and Azerbaijan following their support for Pakistan in its conflict with India. Over 50% of bookings to these countries combined have been cancelled in just six days amid mounting boycott calls and the suspension of tour packages by travel operators, according to industry executives.
“We’ve seen 22% cancellations to Turkey and more than 30% cancellations to Azerbaijan,” EaseMyTrip Co-Founder and Chairman Nishant Pitti told NDTV Profit.
These cancellations took place after the travel portal issued a travel advisory on May 9, strongly advising limiting travel to both these countries unless essential. Pitti added that the platform has chosen not to cancel or boycott existing bookings to avoid widespread inconvenience, as many travellers use Turkey simply as a layover.
The backlash began soon after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs publicly criticised the military attack in Pakistan.