Hyderabad: The impact of Turkish support to Pakistan, and social media hashtags like #BoycottTurkey and #IndiaFirst gaining ground, is changing the international travel of tourists, with a noticeable decline in Turkey bound bookings from Hyderabad.
According to local travel agents here, the number of Hyderabadis travelling to Turkey has dropped compared to the same time last year. “Last summer, we had around 15-20 families travelling to Turkey. This year, we received only eight bookings, out of which five were made much earlier and three have recently been cancelled. Those who cancelled opted to travel to Malaysia, Singapore and Dubai instead,” said Anuradha Chetti from RL Tours & Travels. “No new bookings for Turkey have come in from Hyderabad recently and there’s a clear shift in interest towards safer or politically neutral countries,” she added.
Veena World, a travel agency in Hyderabad, said that while many people from Hyderabad travelled to Turkey last year, out of the bookings made around 30 people who had booked trips for May 2025 to Turkey have now either cancelled them or shifted them to other destinations.
The travel agencies noted that of the people who cancelled their trips completely, people were concerned about their safety and security.
Adding to this, travel platform ixigo released a strong statement announcing that it has stopped flight and hotel bookings for Turkey, Azerbaijan and China. “In solidarity with our nation, ixigo is suspending flight and hotel bookings for Turkey, Azerbaijan, and China. Because when it comes to Bharat, we don’t think twice. Jai Hind,” the statement read.
Celebi, a Turkish company, handles security ground services at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA), providing essential services like baggage handling, aircraft cleaning and refuelling coordination. Several major airlines operating at RGIA rely on Celebi for groundhandling services. However, operations with respective airlines remained unaffected at RGIA. When asked some of the Hyderabadis, if they would travel to Turkey amid ongoing tensions between India and Turkey, K. Priyanka said, “Absolutely, I still want to go. I don’t believe tourism and war should be mixed. Politics happens at the government level, but travel is personal, it’s about connecting with people, exploring culture and broadening our perspectives. My trip will be about experiencing a country. We shouldn’t let diplomatic issues come in the way of cultural exchange.”
K. Nirupama, however, had a different take. “I won’t plan to visit Turkey after what’s happened. The country’s clear support for Pakistan, especially after a sensitive operation like Sindoor, is hard to overlook. It’s not just about politics anymore, public sentiment and safety matter too. For me, Turkey has crossed a line and at this point, I can’t support a destination that doesn’t stand with us,” she said.
Hemajali cited safety reasons. “I don’t think it’s the right time to visit Turkey. With all the tensions and the way people in India are reacting, even travel companies have stopped bookings. It’s better to stay cautious and avoid any risk right now.”
