Indian Tourists Shift from Turkey to Morocco Amid Geopolitical Tensions

The growing calls to boycott Turkey and Azerbaijan have been widely followed. The slogan "nation first" has gone viral on social media. "We received about 2,000 cancellations and postponement requests last week for trips to Istanbul and Baku over the next three months," a senior airline official told Moneycontrol. Admittedly, this represents less than 5% of all travel bookings to both countries at present, but cancellations could multiply.

More than 50% of holiday packages to Turkey and Azerbaijan have been cancelled since May 7, reports Yatra. Bookings to both destinations have dropped by 60%, while cancellations have increased by 250%, notes MakeMyTrip (MMT) for its part. "In solidarity with the nation and in the interest of staying together during this period, we urge everyone to postpone any non-essential travel to Turkey and Azerbaijan," said Cleartrip, before suspending all its promotions and offers for these two countries.

Currently, Indian travelers are turning to other destinations. They are favoring Southeast Asian countries. "Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia have become preferred choices due to their affordability, ease of travel and diversity of experiences they offer," says Sabina Chopra, Chief Operating Officer and co-founder of Yatra. According to Hari Ganapathy, co-founder of Pickyourtrail, which has suspended bookings for Turkey and Azerbaijan, some Indian travelers are turning to safer destinations like Morocco and Cambodia, "which continue to generate keen interest due to their accessibility and safety for Indians."