TravTalk India Online Magazine
While Türkiye and Azerbaijan have done predominantly well with the Indian MICE and wedding groups in the past, just one decision from their end changed everything. But one country’s loss is another’s gain. TRAVTALK speaks to key MICE players to find out how much business is moving away from the two destinations to which destinations?
Hazel Jain
It is estimated that in 2023 alone, more than 500 Indian weddings were hosted in Turkish locations, which means more than `1,500 crore flowed into Türkiye from India during the year. So, the decision of many travel trade members in India to stop sale to Türkiye and Azerbaijan after the recent India-Pakistan conflict is not about hate but about strategic responsibility.
Nittin T Dubey, Director, Seven Wonders Vacations, has done many weddings and social events in Antalya and Azerbaijan in the past. But his clients are now refusing to opt for them. “We are now suggesting alternative destinations like Georgia because they offer similar culture and are close to each other geographically. We are also suggesting Uzbekistan. Both these destinations are also competitively priced. Corporates are also completely refusing to travel to Turkiye and Azerbaijan now. Until the situation is resolved, people’s sentiments will not change about this. This is an emotional decision,”
he says.
Antalya, Bodrum, Istanbul and Baku were on top of the list for my clients, says Birju Gariba, Founder & CEO, ISKRA Events. “But this has changed now. Destinations like Vietnam, Dubai, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Thailand and Bali will clearly gain from this while we keep pushing destinations within India. Some of the more exotic weddings will now go to the European favourites like Italy and France, but a big one to gain could be Morocco and Jordan as immediate replacements for Turkiye and Azerbaijan,” he adds.
Trishal Rao, Chief Sales Officer, SKIL, has done about three to four MICE groups to Turkiye and Azerbaijan over the last two years. “We had three to four inquiries worth `1-`1.25 crore for these two destinations in recent months. However, due to the current situation, we are not pursuing these destinations,” he says.
Amit Thadani, Director, Nik N Ami Travels, has been handling cancellations to the two destinations while offering alternative travel options. “While our DMC partners on the ground have been extremely supportive, challenges remain—particularly with some hotels not offering refunds for non-refundable bookings. We are addressing these complexities with our clients empathetically. We are promoting alternative destinations,”
he adds.
