Traders’ body urges boycott of Turkey, Azerbaijan

New Delhi

The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has urged Indian citizens to stop traveling to Turkey and Azerbaijan. The call comes in protest against both countries’ support for Pakistan. CAIT said this boycott could strongly affect their tourism sectors, where Indian spending is significant.

In 2024, around 300,000 Indians visited Turkey, spending about $291.6 million. Each tourist spent around $972. Turkey had a total tourism income of $61.1 billion last year. Azerbaijan welcomed about 250,000 Indian visitors in the same year, each spending $1,276, totaling around $308.6 million.

CAIT Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said that a full boycott, including Indian weddings, events, and tourism in both countries, would cause large losses. He believes this pressure could push Turkey and Azerbaijan to rethink their stance on India.

The traders' group has earlier led a campaign to boycott Chinese goods. Now, they plan to work with travel agencies and other partners to push this new campaign against Turkey and Azerbaijan.

The impact is already being seen. Many Indians have canceled travel plans, and booking platforms have stopped offering trips to these countries. Khandelwal said cultural and business events are also being canceled.

Meanwhile, Turkey’s tourism department urged Indians not to cancel trips. It said the common people are unaware of political issues and that tourists face no problems. However, CAIT remains firm in its campaign.

This boycott could have a major effect on the tourism-driven economies of both countries, as Indian visitors play a key role in revenue from travel, events, and entertainment.