The recent cancellations of holidays to Turkey and Azerbaijan are now leading to increased interest in countries like Kazakhstan, Egypt, Jordan, Georgia, and Armenia, as per industry experts. Meanwhile, there are also more enquiries for Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia, Vietnam, and Cambodia — many of which are visa-free for Indian citizens — even though some may find the hot weather unsuitable, they say.
Despite offering cooler climes, other European countries are not able to gain much traction since Schengen visa dates remain a problem, adds another industry expert. Presently, Indian nationals have to wait several months to get a visa appointment for the most popular Schengen countries — Germany, France, Italy, and Spain — making it practically impossible to travel ahead of the summer holiday season.
Over the last 10 days, ever since Turkey and Azerbaijan came out in support of Pakistan in the wake of Operation Sindoor, there has been a sharp decline in visa applications to these two countries, as per Atlys, a visa processing platform.
“We have reported a sharp 42% decline in visa applications to Turkey and Azerbaijan following recent geopolitical developments that shifted Indian traveller sentiment dramatically. As both countries publicly expressed support for Pakistan, within just 36 hours, the number of users exiting the visa application process midway surged by 60%,” said a spokesperson for Atlys.
This reversal came after a strong start to the year. In the first quarter of 2025, visa applications to Turkey and Azerbaijan had risen nearly 64% compared to the same period in 2024, they added. Destinations like Istanbul, Cappadocia, and Baku (Azerbaijan) were emerging as go-to options for Indian travellers seeking a balance of affordability, ease, and short-haul flights.
Group visa requests, including family trips, fell by nearly 49%, while solo and couple applications declined more gradually at 27%, said the Atlys spokesperson. The data also revealed early signals for the coming season. As Turkey and Azerbaijan lost favour, in the subsequent days, applications to Vietnam, Indonesia, and Egypt rose by up to 31%. These countries, seen as affordable, accessible, and politically neutral, are now drawing attention.
Echoing the trend, Ajay Prakash, Chief Executive of -based Nomad Travels and Vice Chairman, Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality, said, “The eastern countries and the UAE have seen more enquiries, but the next couple of months are going to be hot months there, so that would play a role.” However, he added that even as demand grows stronger for Europe, the visa situation is a stumbling block. “This is an opportunity for the Schengen states to invest in processing more visas speedily and increase footfalls from India,” said Prakash.
Subhash Goel, Chairman of STIC Travel Group and President of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), says that they have even seen tourists seeking more “geopolitically aligned and friendly countries,” with Egypt and Jordan replacing Turkey, while Armenia and Georgia are being preferred over Azerbaijan.
In 2024, Armenia received approximately 43,672 visitors, whereas 1.24 lakh Indian nationals visited Georgia. Egypt and Jordan are also gaining popularity among Indian travellers, with official statistics showing 1.5 lakh Indians visiting Egypt in 2024 and 70,000 visiting Jordan last year.
On the other hand, while Turkey registered 3 lakh Indian tourists in 2024, Azerbaijan got 2.44 lakh. It is expected that a chunk of this number will now be diverted towards Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan as well, industry sources say.
Goel says some are also opting for the comfort of familiar Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia, and Indonesia — even Thailand and Malaysia — despite the hot weather, since their bookings are non-refundable and they have to find a quick, familiar alternative. “Those who had open travel plans or refundable bookings are either cancelling their holidays for now or looking for Schengen countries with faster visa appointment dates,” he adds.
Recently, travel booking portals have reported a notable drop in bookings from Indians for these countries — and a jump in cancellations. Some Indian travel service providers have also stopped offering flight and hotel bookings for the two countries, while a few others are dissuading Indians from travelling there.
