CAT appeals to Indians to boycott Türkiye and Azerbaijan
New Delhi: Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), one of the country’s top traders body, on Wednesday appealed to all traders and citizens to boycott Turkey and Azerbaijan. During ‘Operation Sindoor’, both these countries openly supported the neighboring country amid the India-Pakistan conflict.
In 2024, around 62.2 million foreign tourists came to Turkey. Out of this, around 3,00,00 were Indians. Last year, 20 percent more Indian tourists came to Turkey as compared to 2023. According to data shared by CAT, Turkey’s total tourism income last year was $61.1 billion, with each Indian tourist spending an average of $972. Last year, Indians collectively spent $291.6 million in Turkey. The traders body said that earlier it had launched a nationwide campaign to boycott Chinese products, which has had a great impact. Now he is running a campaign to boycott travel to Turkey and Azerbaijan.
CAT said that to make this campaign bigger, it will talk to travel and tour operators along with other necessary parties. CAT General Secretary Praveen Khandelwal said that boycott of travel to Turkey and Azerbaijan by Indian citizens in protest against support to Pakistan can have a great impact on the economies of these countries, especially their tourism sector. He said that if Indian tourists boycott Turkey, it may suffer a direct loss of about $ 291.6 million. According to Khandelwal, the indirect economic loss will be even more due to the cancellation of Indian weddings, corporate events and other cultural programs.
Azerbaijan had about 2.6 million foreign tourists in 2024, of which about 2,50,000 were Indians. The average expenditure by an Indian tourist was 2,170 Azerbaijani Manat, which is equivalent to about $ 1,276. Overall, Indians spent $308.6 million in Azerbaijan last year.A boycott of Azerbaijan by Indian tourists could directly harm the country’s economy. In Turkey, Ankara’s tourism department has urged Indian travellers to visit their country.
“The majority of the local population is unaware of the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan and it has no impact on the daily life or tourism environment here,” the department said in a statement. According to Khandelwal, the economic pressure could force both Turkey and Azerbaijan to reconsider their policies towards India.
