India’s travel industry calls for ‘boycott of Turkey, Azerbaijan’ over support to Pakistan

ANI

May 14 2025 (ANI): Former President of Travel Agents Association of India, Jyoti Mayal, says, "50% of the bookings made for Turkey and Azerbaijan from India have been cancelled. We have helped and supported Turkey and Azerbaijan a lot in the tourism sector. We must show our displeasure over how they have behaved with India. We are not supporting travel to these countries."Delhi: On call to boycott travel to Turkey and Azerbaijan, Chairman, Tourism Committee, Chamber of Commerce, Subhash Goyal says "It is unfortunate that we helped Turkey a lot when there was an earthquake there. We even sent our doctors, dog squad and medical squad. We called it Operation Dost. We could not have imagined that Turkey would take such a step, and it will do everything in connivance with our enemy. The Travel Agent Association of India and the rest of the travel associations have supported a boycott of Turkey and Azerbaijan..."

Transcript

00:00This is a big deal that we have helped Turkey when we were able to achieve it and until we have doctors, medical squad and dogs squad.

00:13It seems that we have helped them in tourism, both countries, Azerbaijan and Turkey. Especially after COVID-19, we have supported them a lot.

00:22We couldn't think that Turkey was our friend of mine when we did it.

00:29It will take a step and it will work with our enemies.

00:37Pakistan is a rogue nation that is going to make a terrorist.

00:41That nation will support Turkey and Azerbaijan, drones and money.

00:47It is clear that we should not work with these nations.

00:51We should not go to Turkey and Azerbaijan.

00:58That is why all the bookings are canceled.

01:0250% of the bookings are canceled.

01:04First of all, from the Indian Chamber of Commerce and the Aviation and Tourism Committee,

01:09I will give my Armed Forces to my Prime Minister,

01:14I will tell you that the operation was canceled.

01:17This is a big deal.

01:19This is a big deal.

01:21We had helped Turkey when we were able to achieve it.

01:25Until we had doctors, medical squad and dogs squad.

01:31And the people who were able to achieve it.

01:33We had to achieve it.

01:34We had to think that Turkey was my friend of mine.

01:36That Turkey was our friend of mine.

01:38When we did it, it would take a step and take a step.

01:41It would take a step and take a step and work with our enemies.

01:46That is why the Travel Agents Association of India,

01:52and the rest of the travel associations,

01:55the big tour operators, travel agents,

01:58all have known Turkey and Azerbaijan,

02:02because Azerbaijan has also supported them openly.

02:05So, we have to do it.

02:07We have to do it.

02:08We are the same for all the Indian Chamber of Commerce.

02:10We are with all these associations.

02:13They have also said that the Government of India should

02:16be given to those two countries of the war.

02:20Look,

02:21I think that in Pakistan, Turkey and drones are also affected by the sentiments against the travel industry.

02:35Because we feel that we have helped in tourism, both countries, Azerbaijan and Turkey.

02:41Especially after Covid, we have supported them a lot.

02:44It is also the third or fourth largest market.

02:51Even in Turkey, last year in 2014, there are 3,300,000 people.

02:58In the economy, there is an investment of 4,000 crores in Turkey.

03:05Because our investment is a lot.

03:08The value of our trade is 90,000 crores.

03:11So I think that all of these things are affected by the sentiment that we should not go to Turkey and Azerbaijan.

03:21Because that's why all the bookings are canceled.

03:2450% bookings are canceled.

03:26The big tour operators have closed the door.

03:30Because tourism is all about creating peace and people to people connect.

03:37So when people go there, there are a lot of things with tourism.

03:42Tourism is a huge value chain.

03:44So hospitality, infrastructure, everything is increased.

03:47But when people don't have confidence to travel and they don't feel secure,

03:54they don't go to that place.

03:57Especially for a little while, they don't go.

03:59After that, some memories are short.

04:02They also forget them.

04:03Like Maldives was killed during Covid.

04:05If you remember them.

04:06So we had retaliated a lot.

04:09They took time to come back to their tourism.

04:11But tourism comes back because there is no alignment between the political and the sentiments of the people.

04:21So I think that alignment is never there.

04:23So people have short memories and it does come back.

04:26But things like this don't happen, should not happen.

04:30And this has to be taken on a broader perspective by the governments themselves.

04:35Because this doesn't come from the government's direction.

04:40It always depends on the people.

04:43It always depends on the travel agents.

04:45Who is going to sell them?

04:46Who is going to promote those packages?

04:49But when it doesn't come up, it is short-lived and it will be done.

04:56But being on the other side, like I was just now speaking to the former Indian ambassador,

05:05he also said the same thing that the trade has to be slowed down to move forward.

05:12And that is how we must show our displeasure that we are hurt by the way they have behaved with India.

05:18And they have been behaving since long.

05:19It is not that they behave tonight now, but this time by giving the drones,

05:23which is more like a commercial deal between two countries.

05:25But still, they have to stand up to us to say how we should be traveling,

05:30how we should be selling, how we should be promoting our destinations.

05:33And I think there are a lot more destinations beyond these two destinations

05:38where we can send our passengers and our travelers.

05:41So I think all this comes into consideration for some time.

05:44And, of course, we have to move forward and see how our government gives a statement on this

05:50to say how tourism should be affected, because we see that flights are increasing, visas are becoming free.

05:57So that's the side the government is also doing.

05:59So we will have to look into it and see how we can actually, you know,

06:04see how tourism of these countries should be affected.

06:07But right now, currently, there have been huge cancellations.

06:09We as travel agents are not supporting this at all.

06:12We are trying to say that no one should travel to these two countries.

06:16It's not only about…

06:18We are a patriotic country and we have to believe in ourselves

06:21to say that we stand with India together to say that we prosper.

06:25In this way, as we know that Turkey and Azerbaijan are on the wrong side of this fight,

06:34because Pakistan is wrong in this world.

06:37The UN-designated terrorists are in the funeral of Pakistan's army and military people.

06:44So it's clear that Pakistan is a rogue nation.

06:47It's a terrorist terrorist who is going to become a terrorist nation.

06:50We are trying to support Turkey and Azerbaijan, drones and money.

06:55It's clear that we don't have to work on these nations.

07:00And in this way, we have to take a travel advisory.

07:03We should not travel in these countries.

07:05We were the first ones in which we have to take a travel advisory.

07:08We are very happy to see that the travel agencies have taken this advice.

07:13And in this time, in our efforts,

07:15the boycott of Turkey,

07:18the boycott of Azerbaijan is trending.

07:21Because they are on the wrong side.

07:24And in that side,

07:26their ideology is related to them,

07:28their Islamic country is related to them.

07:30And they also supply the droves to Pakistan.

07:34So as our honourable PM said,

07:37the fact that water and the water are both made on the ground

07:39and the water,

07:41water and the blood do not have to work on the ground.

07:43The same way,

07:44it's true that water and the water have been laid down.

07:46The answer is where the load is being laid down.

07:47Let's say that water and the water have been laid down.

07:49So there is no effort,

07:51you know it's because water and the water have been laid down.

07:53And that water and the water hasn't had to be laid down.

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