In a surprising twist in travel trends, visa applications from India to Turkey and Azerbaijan have dropped by 42%, according to a report by Atlys, a popular visa platform. The sharp fall came after both countries publicly supported Pakistan in recent international matters, as reported by NDTV.
Indian travelers reacted quickly and strongly. Within just 36 hours, the number of users leaving their visa process midway jumped by 60%. “This wasn’t a slow shift—it was sudden and instinctive,” said Mohak Nahta, CEO of Atlys. “People simply changed their plans without needing a push.”
Atlys also stopped all marketing for Turkey and Azerbaijan, saying they stood with Indian national sentiment.
The drop in travel plans was felt most in big cities like Delhi and Mumbai, where applications for Turkey fell by 53%. In smaller cities like Jaipur and Indore, the fall was less steep, around 20%.
Group travel plans took the hardest hit—family visa requests dropped by almost 49%. In comparison, solo and couple travelers were more flexible, with only a 27% drop.
The age group most likely to switch plans was 25 to 34. This group made up over 70% of those who stopped their Turkey visa applications mid-way. Interestingly, women travelers were 2.3 times more likely than men to start new applications for other countries, especially Vietnam and Thailand.
As Turkey and Azerbaijan lost favor, countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, and Egypt saw a rise in Indian interest—visa requests for these places grew by up to 31%.
This wave of change shows how today’s travelers are not only guided by wanderlust, but also by world events and national pride.
