Travel Industry Sees a Bright Future with Destination Weddings
We might think that with this economic state: job losses, foreclosures, pending loans and mortgages, etc., it is not a good time to travel and have an extravagant wedding in a beach resort away from home. But this is not the case. Surprisingly, more couples would rather have private weddings in a far from home location.
According to Destination Weddings & Honeymoons the market for travel or destination weddings will increase to $16 billion from 2008’s $13 billion. Incorporating travel to weddings seems to be in boom when you compare this current forecast to 2001’s $3 billion market.
Why do many couples choose to be wed away from home?
St. Kitts representative Cathy Preece says that having a smaller and chosen few close family and friends to travel and celebrate an all-inclusive beach wedding comes out to be cheaper than having a traditional hometown wedding. This may be due to the availability of cheap flights and vacation deals. Plus, when you travel in big groups, you can avail discounted tickets too.
Susan Moynihan, Destination Weddings editor also says that destination weddings average with only 48 guests. The average number of guests in 2006 was 51. This number is only a third of how much you need to invite in a traditional wedding.
As traditional wedding budget falls by 7 percent at $20,398 because of the cost-cutting required in our economy, weddings that require travel had risen by 4 percent since 2006 and is now at $20,600.
In a trade fair, resort and hotel representatives and travel officials from Fiji and Hawaii had came to attract guests. But long distance travel destinations are having more trouble than other common wedding destinations like Florida and other locations neighboring the U.S. mainland.
The Caribbean now has more than half of the U.S. international travel/destination weddings. Mexico has the 21 percent. The top U.S. travel destination for weddings is Florida knocking off Hawaii to the third spot, while Las Vegas is at second.
Hotel and resort marketing consultant Rebecca Grinnals says that many hotels and resorts are now eyeing the wedding industry as the demand is very high. Plus, these travel guests do not cancel their reservations. Hopefully, with destination weddings in a boom, the travel industry may slowly recover.
