India’s Turkey Travel Slumps in May Amid Diplomatic Backlash

Indian arrivals to Turkey dropped almost 24% in Might this 12 months in comparison with the identical month final 12 months. Provisional information from Turkey’s Ministry of Tourism and Tradition exhibits that the variety of Indian guests fell from 41,544 in Might 2024 to 31,659 this 12 months.

Might accounted for the sharpest decline in Indian tourism to Turkey. Between January and April 2025, 83,306 Indians visited the nation, that is barely under the 84,522 recorded throughout the identical interval in 2024, a modest drop of 1.44%.

A key issue was a geopolitical improvement involving an armed battle with Pakistan. Following a lethal terror assault in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that killed 26 folks, most of them vacationers, India carried out army strikes on terror bases in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. Turkey and Azerbaijan publicly condemned the strikes.

In response, a number of Indian journey corporations, together with PickYourTrail, Cox & Kings India, EaseMyTrip, and Go Homestays, suspended bookings to Turkey and Azerbaijan. Trip rental firm Goa Villas additionally introduced it might now not host Turkish residents at its properties. 

Decline in Journey Bookings

Journey company Brightsun Journey stated it has seen a big decline in curiosity and bookings for Turkey amongst Indian vacationers throughout Might and June. “Our information exhibits that bookings dropped to just about 50% from 2024 to 2025,” Sandeep Arora, director at Brightsun Journey instructed Skift. “Whereas a number of elements may very well be at play, we imagine latest geopolitical developments and rising sentiment on social media, together with requires boycotts might have influenced journey selections,” he added. 

On-line journey firm EaseMyTrip additionally witnessed an analogous pattern. “As of Might 2025, we’ve noticed a pointy decline in journey curiosity to Turkey amongst Indian vacationers. Bookings have dropped by greater than 50%,” CEO Rikant Pittie stated. He added that for the reason that fallout in Might, there was no seen change amongst Indian vacationers that indicators a thawing of sentiment in the direction of Turkey. 

“Quite the opposite, Indian vacationers have proven sturdy and constant alignment with nationwide sentiment, selecting to withhold leisure journey to locations perceived as unsupportive throughout instances of nationwide adversity. Consequently, we’ve seen a redistribution of journey curiosity towards different locations equivalent to Greece, Egypt, Georgia, and Vietnam – nations perceived as impartial or pleasant,” he instructed Skift.

India’s Rising Significance to Turkey

In February, Firat Sunel, Ambassador of Turkey to India, stated that India represented one in every of its most dynamic and fastest-growing supply markets. Final 12 months, over 330,000 Indians visited Turkey. 

The nation’s tourism board stated that the Indian market emerged as a “significantly sturdy development driver” final 12 months. It stated that this pattern was pushed by enhanced air connectivity between the 2 nations, rising reputation of Turkey amongst Indian wedding ceremony planners and MICE occasion organizers, and introduction of Turkish experiences that cater to Indian preferences. 

Earlier this 12 months, the nation’s tourism ministry and tourism promotion company held a six-city “India Vacation spot Promotion Occasion 2025” to facilitate conferences between journey suppliers in Turkey and commerce companions in India. Turkey’s tourism board stated that the timing of the occasion was aligned with the rising reputation of Turkey amongst Indian vacationers.

A Repeat of Maldives?

After the India-Pakistan battle, there was a pointy decline in curiosity amongst Indians for Turkey. The decline in tourism won’t appear vital by itself. However to place into perspective, final 12 months, Indian vacationers in Might elevated by 47% as in comparison with 2023. For the January to Might interval, this improve was almost 35% final 12 months. 

The expansion of Indian vacationers to Turkey stabilized to twenty.7% by the tip of 2024. Which means that the primary 5 months have been vital contributors for the India supply market, a pattern that was additionally true in 2023. 

In keeping with on-line journey platform MakeMyTrip, within the week following the breakout of the battle, it witnessed a 60% decline in bookings for Azerbaijan and Turkey. Cancellations throughout the identical interval surged by 250%. 

Within the days following this improvement, Indian airports additionally terminated agreements with Turkish and Chinese language corporations for his or her help for Pakistan. 

This mirrors a pattern seen final 12 months between Indian vacationers and the Maldives. A diplomatic spat between the 2 nations led Indians to boycott the archipelagic nation, leading to India slipping to the fifth place for vacationer arrivals into Maldives in January 2024. 

A diplomatic spat led to a widespread boycott of the island nation by Indians, inflicting India to drop to the fifth spot for vacationer arrivals in January 2024. Initially of 2024, India was the Maldives’ third-largest supply market, accounting for 7.6% of arrivals. In 2023, it had held the highest spot, contributing over 11% of the 1.8 million whole arrivals.

By Might 2024, India had fallen additional to sixth place, prompting Maldives Tourism Minister Ibrahim Faisal to publicly invite Indians again. “Our economic system depends upon tourism. Our folks and the federal government will prolong a heat welcome to Indian vacationers,” he stated.

The boycott’s results lasted by the 12 months. India ended 2024 because the Maldives’ sixth-largest market, sending simply over 130,000 vacationers, a pointy decline from greater than 209,000 in 2023.