After Operation Sindoor, Indian tourists turned away from Türkiye, friendship with Pakistan proved costly
Türkiye: Supporting Pakistan during Operation Sindoor has put Turkey in a bad position. Its immediate effect on its tourist industry is now apparent. Large numbers of Indian visitors are avoiding Turkey as a result of the military conflict with Pakistan. According to the most recent statistics, the number of Indian visitors to Turkey has decreased by half over the last three months.
The situation is rather evident if we examine the numbers from May to July of this year. In May of this year, 31,659 Indian visitors traveled to Turkey; by July, that number had dropped to 16,244. In other words, after only three months, there was a roughly fifty percent decrease.
There were 44% fewer tourists
This deterioration is not only evident on a monthly basis; it is also evident on a yearly level. In July of the current year, 16,244 Indian visitors have visited Turkey, compared to 28,875 in July of 2024. This is a 44% decrease over the previous year.
According to experts, this fall is caused by both the shifting opinions of Indians on Turkey and the shift in travel patterns. The Indian populace does not approve of Turkey’s support for Pakistan during the tense period between India and Pakistan. Indian visitors are now searching for alternative destinations as a result of this.
“Turkey’s lesson”
Nishant Pitti, the founder and chairman of EaseMyTrip, said bluntly that Turkey should learn from this collapse. International travel agencies must realize that they cannot afford to ignore India. India is a major force in the world today, and our country’s dignity cannot be compromised.
Indian visitors have proven to be a significant market for Turkey each year, according to tourism industry experts. In addition to being more numerous, Indian tourists spend more money in Turkey than those from other nations. In this case, Turkey’s economy may also be impacted by India’s shift in perspective.
Indian travelers visiting Italy, Greece, and Spain
Analysts predict that Turkey may have to deal with a significant decline in revenue from Indian visitors in the next months if this trend keeps up. However, Greek, Spanish, Italian, and even Central Asian nations are being preferred by Indian visitors. In an effort to draw in Indians, these nations have recently loosened their visa and tourist regulations.
All things considered, India’s tourist sector is directly impacted by the diplomatic and political strain between Turkey and India. Indian visitors’ shifting tastes make it abundantly evident that nations that take an anti-India stance on security and foreign policy issues will now have to deal with the effects on their economies and tourism.