Indian Tourists Turn Away from Turkey and Azerbaijan Following “Operation Sindoor”; Support for Pakistan Proves Costly

During Operation Sindoor, Turkey and Azerbaijan’s support for Pakistan has backfired, with Indian tourists now avoiding these destinations. This has led to a significant decline in tourism from India.

New Delhi: Indian travelers are increasingly steering clear of Turkey and Azerbaijan after both countries openly supported Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. In recent months, the number of Indian tourists visiting these countries has dropped sharply.

According to figures obtained by CNN-News18, between June and December, Indian tourist arrivals in Azerbaijan fell by 63%, while visits to Turkey declined by 34%. Data shows that since June last year, the number of Indian tourists visiting both countries has steadily decreased.

Decline in Indian Tourist Numbers:

• Azerbaijan: 63% drop
• Turkey: 34% drop

Between June and December 2024, approximately 153,000 Indian tourists visited Azerbaijan. Last year, during the same period, this number fell to around 57,000, representing a 63% decrease. In Turkey, around 205,000 Indian tourists visited during June–December 2024, which declined to approximately 135,000 last year, marking a 34% drop.

A Continuing Downward Trend:
This decline is not limited to this year alone. Last year, Indian tourist numbers had already fallen, with Azerbaijan seeing a 56% decrease and Turkey around 33% between May and August. Azerbaijan’s Tourism Board reported that from January to April 2025, Indian tourist numbers had increased by 33%, but over the next four months, arrivals plummeted by nearly 56%.

Support for Pakistan Triggers Backlash:
The tensions followed the Pahalgam terrorist attack in May last year, which escalated India-Pakistan relations. Operation Sindoor, conducted by India’s three armed forces, successfully targeted terrorist infrastructure across Pakistan, neutralizing several bases.

Following the operation, Azerbaijan publicly supported Pakistan’s stance, while Turkey endorsed Pakistan’s demand for an international investigation into the Pahalgam attack. Reports also indicated that Pakistan used drones built in Turkey against India during the operation. Turkey’s diplomatic backing of Pakistan sparked the Boycott Turkey movement in India.

Travel Industry Joins the Boycott:
In response to Turkey’s position, major Indian travel portals—including MakeMyTrip, EaseMyTrip, and Cleartrip—decided to halt promotion of Turkey tour packages, limiting accessibility for Indian tourists. Many Indians also canceled planned trips to Turkey and Azerbaijan at that time.