Harsh Goenka On Calls To Boycott Turkey, Azerbaijan: 'Indians Spent Rs 4K Crore, But They Back Pakistan'
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India launched 'Operation Sindoor' against terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir after terrorists killed 26 Indian tourists in Pahalgam, Kashmir.
The boycott calls for Turkey and Azerbaijan have been growing since both countries openly supported Pakistan amid the border tensions. This sparked an uproar among Indians who voiced out to boycott tourism to Turkey and Azerbaijan.
Harsh Goenka, Chairman of RPG Group, voiced his concern on X, saying 'Indian (tourists) contributed over Rs 4,000 crore to the economies of Turkey and Azerbaijan last year. He urged Indians to skip these 2 places as both stand with Pakistan after the Pahalgam attack.
'Indians gave Rs 4,000+cr to Turkey & Azerbaijan last year through tourism. Created jobs. Boosted their economy, hotels, weddings, flights. Today, both stand with Pakistan after Pahalgam attack. Plenty of beautiful places in India & the world. Please skip these 2 places. Jai Hind," Goenka said.
Several Indian travel platforms promptly responded. ixigo suspended all bookings for Turkey, Azerbaijan, and China, stating, 'When it comes to Bharat, we don't think twice." Cox & Kings echoed similar sentiments, announcing a temporary hold on all new trips to the three countries, while EaseMyTrip issued a travel advisory discouraging non-essential visits.
For the love of our nation, we stand united. pic.twitter.com/GqKKzQ4as9 — ixigo (@ixigo) May 10, 2025
Other platforms like Pickyourtrail and Go Homestays also joined the movement. Go Homestays went a step further, severing ties with Turkish Airlines and removing their flights from all future packages.
First Published:
May 14, 2025, 16:09 IST
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