Boycott call from India to Turkey: 'Are Indian weddings in danger?'
Citing Turkey's political approach toward Pakistan, a tourism boycott of Turkey has been called for on social media in India. How will Turkey's prestige tourism, which draws attention with luxury Indian weddings, be affected by this development?
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The ongoing political tension between India and Pakistan has now targeted Turkey. Disturbed by Turkey's stance toward Pakistan, India has begun to react with a series of statements and campaigns questioning Ankara's neutrality. While campaigns launched on social media call on Indian citizens not to travel to Turkey, it is observed that the tourism sector, in particular, is being targeted.
In India, both media outlets and social media users have reacted to allegations that Turkey supports Pakistan. In messages shared on many platforms, especially Twitter and Instagram, with the hashtag #TurkeyBoycott, the Indian public is advised to turn to alternative tourist destinations instead of Turkey.
THE FAVORITE OF PRESTIGE TOURISM: INDIAN WEDDINGS
One of the most striking aspects of the boycott calls is that they target the luxury Indian weddings held in Turkey. In recent years, Antalya, in particular, had become a popular destination for wealthy Indian families by hosting million-dollar wedding organizations. These events, where giant hotels are rented and hundreds of guests are hosted, hold an important place in Turkey's prestige tourism.
However, industry representatives state that although Indian weddings are important in terms of symbolism and promotion, their place within the overall tourism volume is limited.
“THE NUMBER OF INDIAN TOURISTS IS LOW, THE MARKET IS VERY STRONG”
Gökhan Sönmez, a tour operator in Antalya, stated that the absence of Indian tourists would not deal a major blow to the sector. In his assessment to Türkiye Gazetesi, Sönmez used the following words:
“Turkey's tourism market is extremely diverse. There are millions of tourists coming from large markets such as Europe, Russia, and the Middle East. Indians may stand out with their luxury spending, but they are not very large in number. The impact of the boycott decision on the sector will be limited.”
“THIS GAP WILL BE CLOSED WITH ALTERNATIVE MARKETS”
Deniz Karahasanoğlu, one of the industry representatives organizing international weddings in Antalya, confirmed that Indian weddings are effective in the luxury segment of tourism, while stating that such losses could be compensated by demand from European and Middle Eastern markets.
“Indian families close down large hotels and hold ostentatious weddings. Yes, their per-capita spending is high. But the number of these organizations is already limited. There would be a loss, but it would not reach dramatic proportions. Moreover, it is not certain that everyone in India will comply with this boycott.”
WILL OTHER COUNTRIES BE PREFERRED INSTEAD OF TURKEY?
While it remains uncertain for now whether the boycott calls will turn into a long-term trend, eyes have turned to whether large wedding organizations in India will move to other countries instead of Turkey.