India-Pak standoff: Indian travel firms take stand on Turkey, Azerbaijan

Indian travel firms are suspending bookings to Turkey and Azerbaijan following the countries' statements on India's military action against Pakistan

Amid escalating tensions with Pakistan, Indian travel companies are taking a stand on trips to countries viewed as aligned with Islamabad.

 

On Thursday night, travel platform Pickyourtrail.com suspended travel planning to destinations in Turkey and Azerbaijan.

 

“In light of recent events, we’ve made the decision to pause all new bookings to Turkey and Azerbaijan. This is not a comment on the people, but a stance against policies that conflict with India’s national interest,” Hari Ganapathy, co-founder of Pickyourtrail, said in a statement.

 

“As an Indian travel company, our first duty is to the Indian traveller. Jai Hind,” he added.

 

Accommodation brand Go Homestays issued a similar stance earlier in the day, announcing the end of its partnership with Turkish Airlines.

 

“We are officially ending our partnership with Turkish Airlines due to their unsupportive stance towards India. Going forward, we will no longer include their flights in our international travel packages. Jai Hind,” the company wrote on X.

 

It further stated that it would no longer offer accommodations to Turkish citizens in Goa.

 

“Due to Turkey’s non-cooperative stance in the current global scenario involving India and Pakistan, we’ve decided not to offer any accommodation services to Turkish citizens in Goa. We stand firmly with our nation,” Goa Villas posted on X.

 

The moves follow India’s launch of Operation Sindoor in the early hours of Wednesday. In response, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement expressing concern.

 

“We are following the developments between Pakistan and India with concern… We condemn such provocative steps as well as attacks targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure,” it said on 7 May.

 

“We call on the parties to exercise common sense and refrain from unilateral actions,” the statement added. “We expect that measures will be taken to reduce tensions in the region as soon as possible and that the necessary mechanisms, including in the field of counter-terrorism, will be put in place to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents. We also support Pakistan’s call for an investigation into the 22 April terrorist attack.”

 

Azerbaijan issued a similar statement on the same day.

 

“The Republic of Azerbaijan expresses its concern over the further escalation of tension between the Republic of India and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” said its Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 

“We condemn military attacks against the Islamic Republic of Pakistan that killed and injured several civilians. Being in solidarity with the people of Pakistan, we express condolences to the families of the innocent victims and wish a speedy recovery to those who were injured,” it stated.

 

“We call on all parties to exercise restraint and to resolve the conflict through diplomatic means,” the statement added.

 

Travel to Central Asia, particularly to Turkey and Azerbaijan, has seen a significant rise in recent years due to geographic proximity and affordable travel options. According to Skyscanner’s Travel Trends 2025 report released earlier this year, Baku in Azerbaijan emerged as one of the top trending destinations for Indian travellers in 2025, with a 744 per cent surge in searches over the previous year.