Worsening Border Tensions Affect Travel Plans

Hyderabad:With tensions escalating between India and Pakistan, summer plans across the country are quickly unravelling — from cancelled cricket matches to shelved holiday itineraries.

The Indian Premier League (IPL), one of the country’s biggest summer distractions, has been suspended for at least a week. After a directive from the Union ministry of information and broadcasting, OTT platforms have taken down Pakistani-origin content.

“It’s not a ban, but a signal, It’s about optics. The mood of the country right now doesn’t allow for anything that could be seen as insensitive,” said Tanya Mathur, a media professional in the city.

Public events too are being scaled back. Food festivals, even private events like big weddings and DJ nights are either being toned down or postponed. “One client this week cancelled her pre-wedding party while another didn’t want crackers. The tone is not festive anymore,” said Mahesh G, an event planner in Secunderabad.

But the biggest casualty of the war clouds may be summer travel. Just as schools began to shut for the holidays, families that had planned long-awaited getaways are now shelving their bookings. “We were supposed to leave for Manali next week. Now, everyone is nervous, not just about safety, but about being stuck,” said Mili Sharma, mother of two.

Travel agents say bookings to northern states have dropped significantly, but it’s international holidays that are taking the bigger hit — especially to countries like Türkiye and Azerbaijan. Both destinations had seen a boom this summer due to affordable packages and relaxed visa policies. But now, many are calling off their plans, not just out of caution, but because of growing sentiment around their support for Pakistan.

“People don’t want to visit places that are seen as backing Pakistan,” said a Hyderabad-based travel agency owner. “Today we had clients specifically ask to swap destinations. They’re worried about flight disruptions, insurance issues, or even being treated differently abroad. Nobody wants to keep their travel a secret either - it needs to go on Instagram and still not look insensitive.”

Some IT employees are making quick travel plans to their home so as to not be caught in trouble in a city not their own, in the event of a war. With Internet curbs in some areas and fears of further restrictions, even the idea of a digital break has lost appeal. “What’s the point of travel if you’re worried the news will change everything overnight?” asked Deepti Kondepudi who had cancelled her solo trip.