The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has urged Indian traders and citizens to completely boycott travel to Turkey and Azerbaijan in response to their open support for Pakistan.
The apex body, which represents traders across India, made this call on Wednesday, marking a significant move in their ongoing campaign against countries seen as supporting Pakistan.
In 2024, Turkey saw an influx of around 62.2 million foreign tourists, including approximately 3,00,000 Indian visitors.
This represented a 20.7 per cent increase in Indian tourists compared to the previous year.
The country’s total tourism revenue reached $61.1 billion, with each Indian tourist spending an average of $972, contributing an estimated $291.6 million to the Turkish economy, according to CAIT’s data.
Praveen Khandelwal, CAIT Secretary General, emphasised that if Indian tourists were to boycott Turkey and Azerbaijan, these countries would suffer significant economic losses, particularly in the tourism sector.
“A travel boycott could directly impact Turkey’s economy, causing a loss of $291.6 million,” Khandelwal stated.
He also highlighted that cancellations of weddings, corporate events, and cultural programmes hosted by Indians could lead to even greater indirect losses.
Azerbaijan, which received about 2.6 million foreign tourists in 2024, had approximately 2,50,000 visitors from India.
These tourists typically spent an average of 2,170 Azerbaijani Manat (AZN), equivalent to $1,276, contributing around $308.6 million to Azerbaijan’s economy.
Tourism Sector Faces Setback
A significant decline in Indian tourists could cause a substantial economic slowdown in the leisure, wedding, and adventure sectors.
In response, thousands of Indian travellers have already cancelled their travel plans to these countries. Travel booking platforms and tour operators have stopped processing bookings to Turkey and Azerbaijan.
In an effort to quell the growing boycott, Turkey’s Department of Tourism issued a statement urging Indian tourists to visit.
“The vast majority of the local population is unaware of the conflict taking place between India and Pakistan, and it has no bearing on daily life or the tourism environment here,” it read.
Despite these efforts, CAIT remains firm in its position, arguing that the economic pressure from the boycott could compel Turkey and Azerbaijan to reconsider their stance on supporting Pakistan.
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