Indian tourists call for boycott of Turkey. Will this impact Turkish economy?
A fallout from the recent India-Pakistan conflict appears to be Indian tourists' boycott of Turkey (Trkiye) and Azerbaijan, as both nations backed Pakistan. And of the two, Turkey is facing a stronger backlash. After all, Pakistan used Turkish-made drones in its attacks.Many Indians called for these boycotts on social media, including popular singer Vishal Mishra, who declared: "Never ever going to Turkey and Azerbaijan!". Actor and Bharatiya Janata Party member Rupali Ganguly said, "Can we please cancel our bookings for Turkey? This is my request to all Indian celebs/ influencers/ travellers. This is the least we can do as Indians."advertisementECONOMIC PRESSUREThe Confederation of All India Traders also called for these travel boycotts against Turkey and Azerbaijan. Praveen Khandelwal, CAIT Secretary General and Member of Parliament, stated that such boycotts would hurt the economies of both countries. Turkey reportedly earned $61.1 billion from tourism in 2024, of which Indian tourists accounted for $291.6 million. But this is only 0.48 per cent India contribute. Azerbaijan also benefited significantly from Indian visitors, who contributed around $308.6 million to its economy.Travel companies like EaseMyTrip and Go Homestays have already halted tour packages for Turkey and Azerbaijan. EaseMyTrip co-founder, Prashant Pitti, told CNN-News18 that there was a significant rise in cancellations for these countries. He said that cancellations for Turkey reached about 22 per cent, while for Azerbaijan, it was over 30 per cent.'Indian travellers have expressed strong sentiments over the past one week, with bookings for Azerbaijan and Turkey decreasing by 60 per cent, while cancellations have surged by 250 per cent during the same period,' a spokesperson for MakeMyTrip told Business Standard.REAL IMPACT?advertisementAccording to Tourism of Turkey data, Indian arrivals did not cross two per cent of total foreign arrivals. In 2015, out of 3.62 crore foreign arrivals, only 1.3 lakh were from India, just 0.4 per cent. These figures include all purposes of travel.
By 2019, foreign visitor arrivals in Turkey rose to 4.51 crore, with India accounting for just 2.3 lakh, only 0.5 per cent. In 2023, total arrivals increased to 4.92 crore, while Indian arrivals stood at 2.7 lakh or 0.6 per cent. And in 2024, Turkey recorded 5.26 crore foreign visitors, with only 3.3 lakh from India, still only 0.6 per cent.
However, in Azerbaijan, Indians accounted for a higher percentage of tourists, though it remains less than 10 per cent. In 2017, Indian arrivals made up just 0.5 per cent of foreign visitors there. This increased to 1.4 per cent in 2018 and 2.1 per cent in 2019. This grew further in the following years, reaching 5.6 per cent in 2023 and 9.3 per cent in 2024.Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena is reportedly pressuring the Mumbai International Airport to end its contract with CelebiNAS Airport Services India, a Turkish company responsible for handling a majority of its ground operations.Must Watch
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Hindustan Times
21 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Punjab CM draws flak for ‘one nation, one husband' remark post Operation Sindoor
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday hit out at the BJP, accusing the saffron party of politicising Operation Sindoor for electoral gains. The BJP was quick to get back at him and demanded he apologise and resign for making light of the military operation launched on May 7 to avenge the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which the husbands of Hindu women tourists, identified by their sindoor, were targeted. Replying to a question about the BJP campaign for the June 19 Ludhiana West assembly byelection, Mann accused the party of making a mockery of Indian traditions and seeking votes in the name of Operation Sindoor for the bypoll in Ludhiana West assembly constituency. Alluding to reports that BJP workers are distributing sindoor (vermillion) to households following the success of Operation Sindoor, Mann remarked: 'Will you wear sindoor in (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi's name? Is this One Nation, One Husband?' They (BJP) are sending sindoor to every household, will you apply that,' he asked the reporter. The BJP denied any such drive to win over voters and its leaders, including the party's state unit's spokesperson Pritpal Singh Balliawal, termed the CM's remarks 'shameful'. BJP candidate Jiwan Gupta is contesting against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) nominee and MP Sanjeev Arora, Congress's Bharat Bhushan Ashu and Shiromani Akali Dal leader Parupkar Singh Ghumman for the Ludhiana West assembly seat. Describing Mann's remarks as 'vulgarity dressed as leadership', the BJP demanded Mann's resignation. 'He didn't insult the BJP. He insulted every widow of a soldier, every mother of a martyr, every woman of Bharat. And now a question to (AAP national convener) Arvind Kejriwal: Do you support your CM mocking sindoor, a sacred symbol worn by your own wife? Or will you stay silent just to protect your politics? Mann must resign and apologise to the nation,' the party posted on X, adding 'He can't grasp the meaning of sindoor — a symbol of love, sacrifice, and strength for every Indian woman.' Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu also slammed the remarks terming it a 'cheap political commentary' on a sensitive national security issue and demanded an unconditional apology from Mann for his 'crass' remarks. 'I never expected that Bhagwant Mann would stoop so low by mocking the widows of Pahalgam. You may be a former comedian, but that doesn't give you the right to mock the widows of martyrs or the valour of our armed forces,' Bittu said in Ludhiana. Bittu also accused Congress of politicising the army's brave actions and undermining the sacrifices of soldiers and their families. Taking a jibe at Punjab Congress state chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Bittu said that he has joined the AAP in questioning the legitimacy of the army's actions. 'Warring asked for proof of the operation's success by suggesting that the army should display the remains of Pakistani fighter jets. This shows a deep mistrust in our own armed forces and is a disgrace to the nation,' Bittu said. He alleged that Congress has long taken a soft stance on Pakistan and its sympathisers. 'Questioning the army only emboldens our enemies. Warring's comments are not just shameful, they are deeply damaging,' Bittu said Mann must apologise: Cong's Ashu Congress' Ludhiana West bypoll candidate and former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu slammed Mann for making fun of 'sindoor'. 'It has become a fashion to make fun of and mock the Hindu customs and rituals and CM Mann proved to be no exception', Ashu said. The senior Congress leader said such insulting remarks about Hindu practices are unacceptable and the CM must tender an unconditional apology. Under Operation Sindoor, the Indian armed forces carried out pre-dawn missile strikes on May 7 on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, including the Jaish-e-Mohammad stronghold of Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba's base in Muridke, in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives.
Indian Express
26 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘Sarpanch' Shreyas Iyer and Ricky Ponting's magic act took Punjab Kings to the brink of history; and good things in store ahead
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And on that day in Saudi Arabia, the Shreyas-Ponting partnership restarted, culminating in the final in Ahmedabad. In the end though, just as it happened with DC, the combo fell at the final hurdle as RCB's long wait came to an end. It is, however, imperative to recognise the work that the former Aussie captain and one of India's potential leaders in the future work towards a common goal with a clear vision from the outset. The title didn't arrive, but for once, Punjab don't have to look ahead to the future with uncertainty. The next mini auction will actually feel that way for a change… just a mini repair job to be done as the foundation has been laid for this cycle. And that has been possible because Ponting arrived at the franchise with a clear mandate, a near clean slate and a chance to build from the bottom up. The first piece of the puzzle was Shreyas. 'I'm the head coach and responsible for wins and losses, but once the game starts, the team is handed over to the captain. The coach can do very little once the game starts. It was pretty clear with what we did at the auction by bringing Shreyas to this franchise, it was clear to me and the owners that we wanted the best possible Indian captain. We got our man. He's been terrific around the group,' Ponting had told The Indian Express during an Idea Exchange interaction early in the IPL 2025 season. At every step of the way, the coach and captain have spoken about their working relationship. It's been a case of constant give-and-take. Shreyas had no hesitation in admitting that Ponting takes care of the tactical planning and he is happy to be the guy who executes them on the field. On the flip side, Ponting has credited Shreyas with making key decisions based on his gut feel too, it's not been a case of just spoon-feeding him. It was evident early in the season in Ahmedabad against Gujarat Titans, when PBKS had to make a late decision on Impact Sub. 'They need 13-14 runs an over. 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'He's pumped them up, he's given them a pat on the back when they needed it, and he's given them a kick in the pants when they've needed it as well, which is a sign of a really good and strong leader.' It also pointed to Shreyas Iyer's growth over the years. Ponting almost sees his own swagger from Shreyas when he walks out to bat but in his interaction with The Indian Express earlier this year, Shreyas spoke of a younger version of him who wasn't high on confidence when he went to play club cricket in England. 'I made a few friends there, but my English wasn't that great. I couldn't communicate properly. I was low on confidence. And I wanted a way to connect with people and mesmerise them through my actions. I thought magic could be a great icebreaker.' From there, to being the calming influence for a young dressing room, Shreyas has come a long way. And as he said in one of the post-match chats, the Ponting-Shreyas combo sure 'dotted the i's and crossed the t's' to take Punjab close. If they stick to their guns, they ought to be challenging next year too. Vinayakk Mohanarangan is Senior Assistant Editor and is based in New Delhi. ... Read More
Hans India
27 minutes ago
- Hans India
Telangana State Formation Day celebrated at Raj Bhavan
Vijayawada: Governor S Abdul Nazeer was the chief guest at 11th Telangana State Formation Day celebrations held at Durbar Hall at the Raj Bhavan here on Tuesday, organised under 'Ek Bharat Shresth Bharat' programme. Speaking on the occasion, the Governor said Hyderabad city, the capital city of Telangana is popularly known as 'Pearl City' and the State has been for a long time, a meeting place of diverse languages and culture and the best example of India's composite culture, pluralism and inclusiveness. He said the region is well-known for its Ganga-Jamuna Tehzeeb and the State's capital city - Hyderabad is often called a 'miniature India' and it is an important cultural hub of the Indian sub-continent. The Governor said celebration of occasions like the Telangana Formation Day, brings people of different States together and gives us an opportunity to know each other in a better perspective and the 'Ek Bharat Shresth Bharat' programme aims to forge a strong relationship and bonding among all the people of the country, and promote mutual understanding between different States and Union Territories, through the concept of oneness. The programme commenced with a video message of Jishnu Dev Varma, Governor of Telangana, followed by rendering of a melodious fusion song by Jai Sai Vaishnavi, traditional Telangana dance performance by Padma Priya, Divya Rani, Bindu Madhavi, Roja, Prathiba and Madhavi Reddy. Dr M Hari Jawaharlal, Secretary to Governor, officials and staff members of Raj Bhavan, students from Telangana State studying in educational institutions in and around Vijayawada, attended the programme.
