Hyderabad vacationers have a mixed reaction to Turkey, Azerbaijan

Hyderabad has strong historical ties with Turkey. The titular 8th Nizam, Mukkaram Jah, died in Turkey after spending the last stage of his life in the coastal city of Antalya. He had multiple wives of Turkish origin. His brother, Muffakkam Jah was also married to a native of Turkey. Their mother was Durrusehvar Sultan, the daughter of the last Caliph of the Ottoman dynasty who was married to Azam Jah, the son of the seventh and last Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan.

Apart from that, there is a Turkey Consulate in Hyderabad. The legacy of Turkish food and culture lives on through eateries and events here. Turkey has also been keen on improving trade with India. Of late, Turkey has evolved as one of the favourite tourist destinations of Hyderabadis.

Tours and travel operators across the city offer various attractive packages for those interested in travelling to Turkey.

“Youngsters, especially those who are going on an all-friends trips or honeymoon, are preferring Turkey,” informed a travel operator.

However, an intense campaign has begun online against Turkey and also Azerbaijan as a fallout of Operation Sindoor. Both the countries seem to have rallied behind Pakistan and with news that Pakistani Defence used Turkish drones, there is a call to specifically boycott Turkey.

Some Indian users have appealed to the people of the country to not travel to both countries. However, there is a mixed reaction to it.

There is not much impact in the category of vacationers who have already made advance bookings.

“Turkey is an expensive destination. The visa itself costs around ₹22,000 and the entire trip would be a minimum of around ₹1.2 lakhs and upwards. We haven’t seen any cancellations as travellers could face losses,” said M.A. Moiz, Treasurer and Director, Tour Operators Association of Telangana. 

According to a few tour operators, there has been a dip in enquiries related to Turkey and Azerbaijan. Columbus Vacations, a Hyderabad-based travel company has observed this trend. “Compared to previous months, we can say that the enquiries have come down by 70 per cent to Turkey. This is because of the boycott calls. Enquiries to Azerbaijan have also come down by 50 per cent though Azerbaijan has become popular of late due to viral Instagram posts. Alternate destinations like Egypt and those in Asia may benefit from this issue,” said a travel executive of the company.

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