India teaches Turkey and Azerbaijan a lesson for supporting Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, tourism sector sees drop of…

New Delhi: Turkey and Azerbaijan, which sided with Pakistan during ‘Operation Sindoor’, have witnessed a massive setback from Indian tourists. As per the data, between May and August, the number of Indian tourists visiting Azerbaijan dropped by 56 percent, while visits to Turkey fell by 33.3 percent. It is important to note that this decline is a huge blow to both countries, as they had been growing rapidly in popularity among Indian travelers.

Azerbaijan and Turkey emerged as preferred destinations for Indian tourists in the recent years, with direct flights between the countries increasing. Istanbul, one of Turkey’s major airports, also served as a key hub for travel to other international destinations.

Here are some of the key details:

  • The demand to boycott Turkey and Azerbaijan gained momentum in India after these two countries supported Pakistan.
  • The impact of this was seen as early as May, when many people canceled their bookings.
  • Several reputed companies stopped offering flight and hotel services to Turkey and Azerbaijan.
  • Travel portals like MakeMyTrip and EaseMyTrip also advised against non-essential travel to these countries after “Operation Sindoor.”
  • The number of tourists arriving from India increased by 33 percent between January and April, but dropped by nearly 56 percent during the May–August period, according to the data recently released by the Azerbaijan Tourism Board
  • Between May and August, the number of Indian tourists visiting Azerbaijan fell to around 44,000, compared to nearly 100,000 during the same period last year.
  • Overall, in the first eight months of 2025, the number of Indian tourists visiting Azerbaijan declined by 22% year-on-year, settling at around 1.25 lakh.

Massive drop in number of Indians visiting Turkey

As per the data from Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the number of Indians traveling to Turkey during the May–August period fell by one-third to around 90,400, compared to nearly 1.36 lakh during the same period last year. In the first four months of 2025, about 83,300 Indians visited Turkey, slightly lower than 84,500 visitors recorded during the same period last year.

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