special report
Industry views
“Weddings are one of the most special days in a couple’s life, so the expertise that a travel professional can provide is priceless.” ABTA spokesperson, Daisy Parker
“In Malta, you can get married in a hotel or a palace and get a beautiful setting. We hook agents up with wedding planners in resort who have the expertise. Customers are getting more demanding — they want to know they’re getting good value. Most hotels offer something special for honeymooners. Neighbouring Gozo is very relaxed.” Belleair director, Dave Green
“Honeymooners travelling to far- flung destinations like Africa and Australia will nearly always want to stay in more than one place. One of our most popular honeymoons is the classic ‘bush and beach’ combination of a South African game reserve, where couples can spot the ‘big five’, followed by an Indian Ocean stay in Mauritius or the Seychelles. Clients honeymooning in Australia will usually combine a beach stay in the Whitsundays or Northern Queensland with classic sights like Sydney or Uluru.” Premier Holidays’ product manager, John Parker
“Indian Ocean is 60% up this year and that’s big for honeymoons. Since BA launched a direct flight into New Orleans, there’s a bit of traction for couples booking that. Asia continues to be popular, and there’s a lot of demand for Cambodia and Vietnam, as well as a bit of a resurrection of South America, post-Rio.” Gordon McCreadie, Travel 2/Gold Medal, director of sales and marketing
“Planet is experiencing late and early bookings. We’re arranging weddings both for this year and for 2019. When you pick up the phone, you never know what the question is going to be.” Planet Holidays’ managing director Mathilde Robert
combination South Africa on to Mauritius is booming, helped by the weak rand. The operator also recommends linking destinations such as Dubai, Sri Lanka and the Maldives with Emirates flights. Improved connections have made island-hopping easier in the Caribbean, Caribtours points out, while Kuoni is commonly asked to pair Sri Lanka with the Maldives; or Dubai with the Maldives, Mauritius or Seychelles; and arrange multi-centres in Thailand and Bali — where 40% of its couples combine beach time with visiting Ubud. For the budget-conscious, it’s possible to
arrange an extended layover at no extra cost, while twin-centre holidays can also help maximise budgets. Honeymoon favourite the Maldives, for instance, is easily combined with cheaper Sri Lanka, which has contrasting cultural and wildlife appeal. Closer to home, Croatia’s islands are a
honeymoon trend for Prestige, while Planet’s honeymooners like to leave family and friends after a Santorini wedding, and head off to small Italian islands, like Milos and Paros. Few long-haul honeymoon favourites have
their best weather in summer, when UK couples traditionally tie the knot, but Bali works at that time and is doing very well for Kuoni. Koh Samui, which has an opposite season to other Thailand resorts, and the lesser-developed east coast of Sri Lanka, are other summer possibilities. Budget permitting, one way around the
weather issue is for couples to take both a mini-moon and a delayed long-haul honeymoon. Last year, a survey of 3,000 readers by magazines
Hitched, Perfect Wedding and You & Your Wedding revealed 32% of couples said they planned to book a mini-moon, with most of these saying they intended to have a larger honeymoon later. Of these, 60% favoured the UK, while 35% intended to head to Europe. Operators have noted the trend. Caribtours’
recent launch into Europe has helped it cater for mini-mooners, and it suggests Italy for romance. Premier finds mid-haul Oman a mini-moon winner, with its guaranteed sunshine and high-end resorts. In the UK, ABTA says Scotland, Cornwall, the Cotswolds and the Lakes are all popular mini-moon choices. Child-friendly familymoons have been growing
in popularity for some time. Around three- quarters of Planet’s honeymooners have children. Premier recommends family-geared game reserves in South Africa, such as the Shamwari Riverdene Lodge, or Dubai for its short-ish flight, family-friendly hotels, water parks and the recently opened Dubai Parks and Resorts. World events, of course, have a bearing on
wedding and honeymoon choices. Kuoni’s Paton says: “The main effect we’ve seen here is with honeymooners avoiding Zika destinations. Generally, wedding and honeymoon customers are not put off by Brexit [and the weaker pound], as these are significant life events that many have saved for, and they focus on making it an extra-special, memorable experience.” Wherever people choose, it’s clear that with the
trend for more complex weddings, and honeymoons that are difficult to book direct, the trade’s expertise is going to be in even greater demand.
Bali water temple
countrybycountry.com | ABTA Magazine
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IMAGE: GETTY
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