EaseMyTrip Co-Founder Prashant Pitti on Wednesday reiterated that national interest takes precedence over business goals, as he echoed the growing call to boycott Turkey and Azerbaijan. His statement comes in the wake of these two countries openly supporting Pakistan amid the recent escalation of tensions with India.
Both Turkey and Azerbaijan have backed Pakistan despite its continued support for cross-border terrorism against India. This includes Pakistan's aggression following targeted operations by the Indian Armed Forces, who struck nine terror infrastructure sites across Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack.
Azerbaijan, in its official statement on the India-Pakistan situation, appeared to echo Pakistan’s narrative. Meanwhile, Turkey extended solidarity with Islamabad and even supported its proposal for an international investigation into the Pahalgam attack. In addition, Turkey has provided military supplies to Pakistan.
“As a company, EaseMyTrip, we always put the nation first and business later,” Pitti said in an interview.
This is not the first time EaseMyTrip has taken such a stance. In early 2024, the company suspended bookings to the Maldives following derogatory remarks made by some Maldivian officials against India and its leadership.
“We took a national stand and did not promote bookings to the Maldives for nine months. Only after our External Affairs Minister visited the Maldives did we resume those operations,” Pitti explained.
Referring to the current situation, he continued, “Despite the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, violations persist. Countries like Azerbaijan and Turkey are aligning themselves with Pakistan, which is clearly siding with UN-designated terrorists. We've seen Pakistan Army personnel standing in solidarity with these elements. What more evidence does the world need to recognize Pakistan as a rogue nation?”
He expressed concern over countries like Turkey and Azerbaijan continuing to support and even arm Pakistan. “Some of them are supplying drones used in attacks against India. This is why, as a responsible travel platform, we have issued a travel advisory urging our customers to avoid visiting Turkey and Azerbaijan. Such travel only ends up hurting our national interest,” Pitti added.
Unlike the earlier move with the Maldives, EaseMyTrip has not canceled bookings to Turkey and Azerbaijan outright. Instead, the company has issued a formal advisory to its customers.
Turkey is a popular layover destination for Indians en route to Europe or the United States, which made it challenging to differentiate final travel destinations. “Many travellers use Turkey as a transit point to reach Europe or the U.S., so we couldn't always determine who was staying in Turkey and who was just passing through,” Pitti said.
Nevertheless, the advisory seems to be having an impact. Since the boycott call gained traction, EaseMyTrip has observed a 22% cancellation rate for Turkey-bound trips and a 30 per cent drop in bookings to Azerbaijan.
“These numbers are only expected to increase,” Pitti said, noting that in the previous year, approximately 2.5 lakh Indians visited Turkey and 2.3 lakh visited Azerbaijan. With an estimated average spend of ₹1 lakh per traveller, Pitti projected that the potential revenue loss to these countries could amount to nearly ₹5,000 crore.
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“We issued the advisory in good faith and are glad to see that many other travel agencies have supported our stance. Thanks to this collective effort, ‘Boycott Turkey’ and ‘Boycott Azerbaijan’ are now trending,” he said.
Backing Pitti’s position, Subhash Goyal, Chairman of the Tourism Committee at the Indian Chamber of Commerce, emphasized the importance of aligning tourism with national integrity.
“We stand committed to ethical, responsible, and respectful tourism that upholds the values of unity and national security. Several industry bodies have come forward in support of prioritising national interest over commercial gains. The Indian Chamber of Commerce joins the call to boycott countries like Turkey and Azerbaijan for their unacceptable stance against India's fight against terrorism,” Goyal said.
He further urged Indian travellers to choose destinations that promote peace and global harmony. “The safety of our citizens must come first. With so many beautiful and peaceful destinations available, we urge Indian tourists to travel to countries that share our values,” he added.
Jyoti Mayal, former President of the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), echoed similar views in a virtual interaction with ANI. Citing reports, she said that nearly 50% of bookings to Turkey and Azerbaijan have already been cancelled.
“Indian tourists have significantly contributed to the tourism economy of Turkey and Azerbaijan in recent years. Now, many travellers are independently choosing to avoid these countries. The cancellations have been massive,” Mayal said.
She concluded by reaffirming that Indian travel agents are not supporting travel to either Turkey or Azerbaijan. “We are urging everyone to refrain from visiting these countries in the current scenario,” she said.
Also Read: Economic backlash against Türkiye gains momentum in India
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