Azerbaijan, Turkiye on tourist blacklist

Some tour operators in Bengaluru have stopped promoting countries that supported Pakistan in the recent face-off

Following the social media call for boycotting trips to Türkiye and Azerbaijan, which openly backed Pakistan’s military actions against India, some Bengalureans are cancelling their trips to the two countries.

The boycott began last week, with travel and hospitality companies jumping in to halt fresh bookings or issue advisories against non-essential travel to these destinations popular among Indians.

Nikhil S Khabiya cancelled a 10-day trip to Türkiye to mark his wedding anniversary and his wife Simran Balar Jain’s birthday. It was scheduled for May 25. “It’s a symbolic gesture against Türkiye, which is reported to have supplied drones to Pakistan. This is what ordinary citizens can do in geopolitics,” said Simran, a lifestyle content creator. “Some mocked our decision, saying Türkiye had already earned from our flight and hotel bookings. But had we gone, we would have spent more,” she reasoned. The young couple, both 27, is likely to receive partial flight refunds, while hotels have offered travel vouchers.

The pushback comes during the travel season for Türkiye and Azerbaijan, say tour operators.

Firoz, founder of R T Nagar-based Travel of India, said two friends cancelled a late-May trip to Azerbaijan, opting for Kazakhstan instead. At Infinity Travel World, T Dasarahalli, a group set to visit Azerbaijan in June has requested a change to Egypt. “We have another booking for Azerbaijan in October, but otherwise, we’ve stopped taking new bookings for these two countries,” said Kala S, a partner.

Iri iFly Holidays in Vijayanagar had about a dozen confirmed trips to Türkiye and Azerbaijan for May and June. Now, it is fielding calls for advice on cancellations or postponement. Akhil T R, a partner, noted, “Though we hear things are fine on the ground, we leave the decision to clients. Flight money will be their main loss.” Despite ceasefire, he said some clients are wary of travelling abroad altogether due to fears of sudden airport closures in India.

At Bangalore Classic Tours and Travel, Basavanagudi, two clients are uncertain about a business trip to Türkiye due to safety concerns. Similar worries have cast a shadow over a couple’s July trip to Azerbaijan, through Blackforest Holidays, Indiranagar. They have been asked to wait it out for a week before making a decision.

Meanwhile, agencies in Subramanyapura, Mallasandra, Chamrajapet, and R T Nagar have suspended new bookings and stopped promoting Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and even China, citing reasons ranging from “the trade stance” to “patriotism”.

In contrast, some agencies in Indiranagar and Kammanahalli Main Road reported no panic or change in bookings. Kalyan Nagar-based Beppu Holidays has around 20 bookings for Türkiye until July. “Flights are operating normally,” said its owner Vaidyalingam Subramanian, emphasising that the boycott has been voluntary.

‘A year on, Indian footfalls in Maldives not restored fully’

Online aggregator EaseMyTrip reported 22% flight cancellation to Türkiye and 30% to Azerbaijan since the boycott call. Ayappa Somaiah, president of Skal International Bangalore, a body of tourism professionals, believes the current sentiment may redirect Indian tourists to Georgia or the Greek part of Cyprus instead. He notes that this backlash is reminiscent of the #boycottmaldives campaign last January, which came after derogatory remarks against the Indian prime minister. “While Indian tourist numbers in the Maldives have improved, they haven’t yet fully recovered,” he adds.