Visa applications to Turkey and Azerbaijaan have fallen 42%, according to a report by Atlys. This comes in the aftermath of both the countries expressing their open support for Pakistan amid the India-Pakistan tensions.
"Within just 36 hours, the number of users exiting the visa application process midway surged by 60%," stated the report.
This is in stark contrast to the status quo in the beginning of the year, as per the report. "In the first quarter of 2025, visa applications to Turkey and Azerbaijan had risen nearly 64%, compared to the same period in 2024."
Travellers' sentiment was most affected in metro cities like Delhi and Mumbai, the report noted. Visa applications from residents of these cities showed a larger 53% drop, while interest from tier 2 cities, such as Indore, and Jaipur, remained more resilient, falling by only 20%.
It also highlighted affects of the geopolitical conditions on different clans of travellers. For instance, while there was a steady decline in solo visa requests, group visas (by families and so on) saw a more substantial dip of 49%.
Moreover, the report brought into focus patterns around age and intent, "Travellers aged 25 to 34 were most likely to change course quickly, accounting for over 70% of mid-process application drop-offs for Turkey. Interestingly, women travellers were more likely to switch destinations entirely, with a 2.3 times higher tendency to reinitiate applications for Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, or Thailand", it noted.
With turkey rapidly slumping as a preferred destination for Indian tourists, visa applications for other destinations like Vietnam, Indonesia, and Egypt saw a rise of up to 31%.
“The reaction wasn't scattered, it was sharp and behavioral,” said Mohak Nahta, founder and chief executive officer of Atlys. Tourists did not need guidance to avoid these destinations and simply moved on, following "instinct, information, and access to alternatives", he explained.
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