Talking Of Turkey 'Roast' & Greek Salad

In the weeks following the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 civilian lives, India's retaliation has had not just military and diplomatic ramifications, but also an unexpected consequence in the travel industry.

- RONNIE KURIAKOSE

Angered by the backing that Turkey and Azerbaijan gave to Pakistan, a growing number of Indian travellers are now boycotting these two countries.

Further, when news arrived that Turkish drones were used against India, many questioned whether this was indeed 'repayment' for India's Operation Dost mission to assist Turkey after it was rocked by a massive earthquake in 2023.

While travel shifts influenced by politics are not uncommon, the speed and scale was unexpected.

This reaction is, no doubt, inflamed by conversations on social media — from keyboard warriors to war veterans. Even some corporate bigwigs have joined the 'boycott' chorus.

One post that is making the rounds is by RPG Group chairman Harsh Goenka. "Indians gave over ₹4,000 crore last year to Turkey and Azerbaijan through tourism... Today, both stand with Pakistan... Please skip these two places," he wrote on social media.

While the numbers may invite some scrutiny, the sentiment certainly does not.

Several leading travel facilitators too echo the sentiment. Ixigo, for example, announced that it was suspending flight and hotel bookings for Turkey, Azerbaijan, and China.

"Because when it comes to Bharat, we don't think twice. Jai Hind," the travel booking company wrote on its official social media channels.

This was followed by Ixigo CEO Aloke Bajpai's post: "Enough is Enough! Blood and Bookings won't flow together."

Travel platform MakeMyTrip stated that Indian travellers have "expressed strong sentiments over the past one week, with bookings for Azerbaijan and Turkey decreasing by 60 per cent, while cancellations have surged by 250 per cent during the same period".

"In solidarity with our nation, and out of deep respect for our armed forces, we strongly support this sentiment and advise all against all non-essential travel to Azerbaijan and Turkey," a company spokesperson told TNIE.