Harsh Goenka urges Indians to skip Turkey and Azerbaijan amid Indo-Pak tensions

Indian industrialist Harsh Goenka, chairperson of RPG Group, urged Indian tourists on Tuesday to avoid travelling to Turkey and Azerbaijan, accusing the two countries of supporting Pakistan following the Pahalgam attack in Kashmir on April 22, according to a media report.

Goenka claimed that Indian tourists contributed over Rs 4,000 crores to the economies of these nations last year through tourism.

In a statement on X, Goenka wrote, "Indians gave Rs 4,000+ crore to Turkey and Azerbaijan last year through tourism. Created jobs. Boosted their economy, hotels, weddings, flights. Today, both stand with Pakistan after Pahalgam attack. Plenty of beautiful places in India and the world. Please skip these 2 places. Jai Hind."

His comments coincide with widespread actions from Indian travel companies, who are now suspending bookings to these countries.

According to industry sources, there has already been around a 50 percent drop in travel bookings from India to Turkey and Azerbaijan, with travellers cancelling existing plans and choosing alternative destinations like Bali and Malaysia instead, the report added.

Several travel agencies have openly expressed solidarity with India by discontinuing their services related to Turkey and Azerbaijan. Ixigo announced on X: "In solidarity with our nation, we have suspended flight and hotel bookings for Turkey, Azerbaijan, and China. When it comes to Bharat, we don't think twice."

Likewise, Go Homestays officially ended its partnership with Turkish Airlines due to its perceived lack of support for India. "Going forward, we will no longer include their flights in our international travel packages. Jai Hind," the company stated.

Moreover, Goa Villas announced its decision to stop offering accommodation services to Turkish citizens in Goa, citing Turkey's "non-cooperative stance" in the current geopolitical scenario involving India and Pakistan.

India has been among the fastest-growing tourism markets for both Turkey and Azerbaijan. Turkey saw a 20.7 percent increase in Indian visitors, from 2.74 lakh tourists in 2023 to 3.3 lakh tourists in 2024.

Azerbaijan, similarly, recorded a significant 108 percent surge, with Indian visitor numbers rising from 1.17 lakh in 2023 to 2.43 lakh in 2024.

These developments follow statements from both Turkey and Azerbaijan condemning India's actions after the recent escalation with Pakistan. The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned India's military actions, stating they "raise the risk of an all-out war," while Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry expressed concern over the escalation and condemned India's military actions, declaring solidarity with Pakistan.