Harsh Goenka urges Indian travellers to skip Turkey, Azerbaijan: ‘Today, both stand with Pakistan after Pahalgam attack’

RPG Enterprises Chairman Harsh Goenka, in a social media post on Wednesday, 14 May 2025, urged Indian tourists not to travel to countries such as Turkey and Azerbaijan amid the ongoing India-Pakistan tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack.

Turkey and Azerbaijan have extended their support to Pakistan during the ongoing conflict. In his post, Harsh Goenka highlighted that there are many other beautiful places around India and abroad for tourists to visit.

“Plenty of beautiful places in India & the world. Please skip these 2 places. Jai Hind,” said Goenka in his post on the platform X. “Today, both stand with Pakistan after Pahalgam attack,” he noted.

Tourism revenue

According to Harsh Goenka's post, Indian tourists last year generated more than ₹4,000 crore in revenues for Turkey and Azerbaijan in terms of job creation, boosting the nation's economy, hotel and wedding sectors, and flights.

“Indians gave ₹4,000+cr to Turkey & Azerbaijan last year through tourism. Created jobs. Boosted their economy, hotels, weddings, flights,” said Goenka in his post.

On April 22, a Lashkar-e-Taiba offshoot named The Resistance Front (TRF) killed 26 tourists visiting Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam region, giving rise to the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan.

Hotel and flight bookings suspended

Amid escalating India-Pakistan tensions, on 10 May, Mint reported that various online booking platforms had announced suspending their hotel and flight booking operations for some foreign countries, including Turkey and Azerbaijan, a move to support India after the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor.

Ticket booking platforms such as Cox & Kings, EaseMyTrip and Travomint have suspended their travel offerings to Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Turkey.

“In light of recent developments, we have decided to pause all new travel offerings to Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Turkey. This decision is driven by our commitment to uphold principles that matter deeply to us and the people of our country,” said Karan Agarwal, Director of Cox & Kings.

Agarwal also advised Indian travellers to exercise discretion and avoid any non-essential travel to these destinations until the tensions align with the broader geopolitical environment.

“Travel Advisory - Following the Pahalgam attack and escalating tensions between India & Pakistan, travellers are urged to stay aware. As Turkey & Azerbaijan have shown support for Pakistan, we strongly recommend visiting only if absolutely necessary,” EaseMyTrip also said on X.

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