Why Indian Wedding Planners Are Ditching Turkey: A $90 Million Loss for the Ally of Pakistan
Amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, Indian wedding planners and families are reconsidering their plans to celebrate grand weddings in Turkey, potentially causing a significant financial blow to Turkey's tourism industry.
Indian WeddingsTurkey TourismPolitical TensionsEconomic ImpactWedding IndustryReal EstateMay 17, 2025
Amid the calls for a boycott, Turkey's booming wedding industry is expected to take a big hit. The backlash has made Indian wedding planners and families rethink their decisions going forward, and many are choosing alternate destinations. Nikhil Mahajan, senior representative at Kestone Utsav, a leading Indian wedding planning company, told the Financial Express, “Indian wedding travellers contribute over $140 million annually to Turkey’s tourism economy, and the impact of this shift is seismic.”
To get an idea of the money involved here, let's just look at the figures in 2024. In 2024 alone, Turkey hosted 50 grand Indian weddings, each averaging $3 million, with some reaching up to $8 million, according to a FE report. These multi-day celebrations often involved around 500 guests, providing a significant boost to local vendors and tourism-related businesses.
Furthermore, industry data revealed that a typical Indian wedding package for 100 guests started at €350,000 ($385,000), vastly exceeding the cost of local Turkish weddings, which generally range between $1,600 and $5,400. The Indian wedding market in Turkey has expanded nearly 300% from just 13 weddings in 2018 to 50 in 2024, generating close to $150 million last year.
However, political tensions that escalated in May 2025 have already led to the cancellation of 2,000 tourist bookings and put 30 of the 50 scheduled Indian weddings for 2025 at risk. With each wedding valued at approximately $3 million, Turkey faces potential direct losses of up to $90 million from these cancellations, the report said.
Beyond the financial impact, these weddings employ hundreds of local service providers—from florists to event managers—and attract celebrities and high-net-worth individuals, which helps to position Turkey as a premier luxury destination. The crisis has struck during the peak wedding season, which typically accounts for 60% of Indian weddings in Turkey. Indian weddings contributed about 3% to Turkey’s $3 billion wedding tourism revenue in 2024. The broader tourism sector, which earned $61.1 billion last year, may also experience ripple effects from this downturn.
Turkey Faces Heat From Indian Traders, Retailers
After traders, top e-commerce players have also begun removing Turkish brands from their platforms in solidarity with the traders’ call. According to a report in The Economic Times, Reliance-owned Ajio and Myntra have suspended sales of major Turkish apparel brands such as LC Waikiki, Koton, Mavi, and Trendyol.
Earlier, business leaders from over 24 Indian states convened in New Delhi on Friday to formalise the sweeping measures, spearheaded by the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), which represents 80 million traders and over 40,000 trade associations nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are Indian wedding planners boycotting Turkey?
Indian wedding planners are boycotting Turkey due to Turkey's support for Pakistan during Operation Sindoor and subsequent events, which have led to a call for a complete and immediate boycott by Indian traders and business leaders.
How much do Indian weddings contribute to Turkey's tourism economy?
Indian weddings contribute over $140 million annually to Turkey’s tourism economy, with each grand wedding averaging around $3 million.
What is the potential financial loss for Turkey from the cancellations?
Turkey faces potential direct losses of up to $90 million from the cancellations of 30 of the 50 scheduled Indian weddings for 2025, each valued at approximately $3 million.
How are local businesses in Turkey affected by the boycott?
The boycott affects local service providers such as florists, event managers, and other tourism-related businesses, as these Indian weddings often employ hundreds of local workers and attract high-net-worth individuals.
What other actions are Indian businesses taking against Turkey?
In addition to the wedding boycott, Indian e-commerce platforms like Reliance-owned Ajio and Myntra have suspended sales of major Turkish apparel brands, and business leaders from over 24 Indian states have convened to formalize the boycott measures.
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