SOME India-based travel agents have noticed a rise in the number of Indian destination weddings—opulent events held in India or overseas, and attended by hundreds of guests over several days.
According to Amit Kalsi, vice-president – private travel of New Delhi-based Abercrombie & Kent, luxury Indian weddings were a “booming” business.
Heena Munshaw, managing director of Beacon Holidays, told TTG Asia e-Daily that it was great business for a travel agent to score an Indian wedding, as the newly-weds’ families would often use the same agency to arrange the honeymoon.
“Indian honeymoons are luxurious too,” said Munshaw. “Newly-weds stay in five-star resorts, and their programmes, which can run for 12 to 25 days, feature many activities that will allow the couple – usually bonded through arranged marriages – to get to know each other.”
“As almost 80 per cent of honeymoon trips booked through us are paid for by their parents, the newly-weds really get to experience the best destinations, restaurants and hotels,” she added.
Kalsi said accessibility, convenience and dietary preference were the main considerations for destination choice, and that Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia were popular havens for Indian weddings held overseas.
“Overseas destinations for these weddings must be accessible, as guests usually hail from various parts of India. There must be enough flights from India into the selected destination,” he said. “Ease of visa application and availability of vegetarian food are important too.”
However, not all hotels have the facilities to cater to Indian weddings.
“There are at least 500 guests at an Indian wedding, and a lot of event space is needed,” said Kalsi. “The Maldives is a favourite leisure destination among Indians, but it can hardly be used for Indian weddings, since the resorts there do not have that many rooms.”
The lack of facilities is not stopping Conrad Koh Samui from courting the luxury Indian wedding market.
The resort’s business development manager, Samuel Chamberlain, insisted that the resort’s ocean-facing 45-seat ballroom and lawn were perfect for Indian weddings. “I’ve met several Indian agents here at ILTM Asia who were eager to sell the resort for Indian weddings,” he said.
Kalsi offered a solution for smaller hotels and resorts: “We have noticed a trend in Indian weddings being held in two parts – the massive celebration with traditional ceremonies is held in India, and a post-wedding party for close relatives or friends in smaller exclusive resorts in, say, the Maldives.”
