Following the recent escalation in hostilities between India and Pakistan, a significant segment of India’s outbound travel sector is witnessing a steep decline in demand for Turkey. Indian travellers and travel agents have expressed strong displeasure over Turkey’s statements of support for Pakistan during the conflict, leading to widespread cancellations and a freeze on new bookings.
According to Sandeep Khetarpal, founder of Zotrav, a B2B marketplace for travel agents, there has been “a sharp decline in interest for Turkey as a travel destination with nearly 80 per cent of bookings either cancelled or postponed”.
“India was once among the top source markets for Turkey, with a 20.7 per cent year-on-year increase in Indian visitors in 2024 as compared to 2023. However, the current scenario is quite different. Since the recent Indo-Pakistan conflict, we have not received any new enquiries for Turkey and the outlook for the upcoming holiday season remains bleak,” he said.
The downturn follows a deadly militant attack in Kashmir’s Baisaran Valley last month which killed 26 tourists. India responded with Operation Sindoor, launching airstrikes on militant infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The subsequent military exchanges heightened tensions across the region.
Amid these developments, Turkey issued a statement expressing solidarity with Pakistan, triggering a strong backlash from the Indian travel trade community and outbound travellers alike.
“Sentiments of Indian travellers have been badly hurt due to Turkey’s support to Pakistan. There are some business trips still happening but the leisure demand is almost zero. In the short run, we see demand impacted across all segments, whether leisure, MICE or weddings. Destinations like South-east Asia and Europe will benefit from the decline in demand for Turkey,” noted Aman Baweja, director, strategic alliances and partnerships, Travomint.
Aditya Tyagi, founder, Luxe Escape highlighted the slowdown in overall outbound demand post the border skirmishes, however, he stressed that “our clients just do not want to visit Turkey at the moment”.
Meanwhile, both India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire last week, bringing a halt to hostilities.
