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Weddings in paradise
The dreamy, sunshine island of St. Lucia has moved ahead of Barbados and Mauritius as the top choice for British weddings overseas. The American Express Travel Weddings & Honeymoons report shows that, overall, the large Caribbean islands dominate the weddings market for romantic Brits. More money-conscious couples are choosing to marry abroad, to take advantage of lower costs. In the honeymoons overseas market, which has doubled in value since 1998, Mauritius leads the field. American Express Travel says that increasing numbers of wedding couples are now heading off the beaten track to ‘adventure’ destinations including Iceland, Borneo and Bhutan. There has been strong climb back to popularity by the four large Caribbean islands — St. Lucia, Barbados, Jamaica and Antigua. This is attributed to the strength of sterling against the US dollarand shrewd tour operators have come up with a spate of highly competitive packages to tempt couples into shelling out on the wedding of their dreams. St. Lucia takes pole position in the weddings top ten, edging out Barbados. But the biggest jump comes from Antigua, which has moved four places up the top ten, to overtake strong performers Las Vegas and Cyprus. The Seychelles and Sri Lanka are new entrants, replacing Mexico and Florida. And the survey highlights Sri Lanka, which has recovered well post-tsunami and is appealing to couples on a budget, because of its highly competitive pricing and romantic image. Katrina Harrison, the company’s Vice President for Europe, tells me: “Sri Lanka sits alongside Cyprus as a wedding destination. ‘It’s affordably priced, and has all the key ingredients – great beaches, guaranteed sun and a beautiful location. Cyprus also wins out for its shorter flight durations and easy wedding regulations.’ She went on: ‘Cost continues to be a crucial factor in choosing a wedding overseas. “Our offices report spends of between £3,000-£6,000, well under half the figure for a UK ceremony. “And for younger couples, finding a destination that combines a great wedding experience with low costs is a priority,” she added. “That’s why themed wedding trips to Las Vegas remain so popular.” According to the survey, Las Vegas is the wedding destination perceived by wedding couples to offer the best value. Among competing city destinations, New York, Dubai and Cape Town have all grown in popularity over the past 12 months. Meantime, in the fast expanding market for foreign honeymoons, Mauritius, the tiny island gem, has leapfrogged the Maldives to reclaim the top spot. In common with other Indian Ocean destinations, the report suggests that this is because of the breadth of luxury ‘hideaway’ style accommodation in this competitive sector. Not only are there an increasing number of destinations challenging for the lucrative honeymoons business, but the types of holiday experience demanded by couples is also broadening. Honeymoons in beach locations may still be the main crowd-puller but significant numbers of romantics are casting their eyes away from the traditional sun and sand holiday. Growing demand for safaris to South Africa and Kenya is part of a noticeable trend to more active honeymoons, best exemplified by the emergence of off-the-beaten-track destinations like Iceland. Here, four-wheel-drive glacier trips are in demand, while Borneo offers trendy, soft adventure jungle treks to see wildlife. And there is a growing interest in the tiny, remote Kingdom of Bhutan. Back at the beach, this year’s league table underlines the volatility of the market. A familiar trio of destinations — Antigua, Hawaii and Sri-Lanka — have re-entered the top ten at the expense of 2005 newcomers Cyprus, Australia and Mexico. In common with the weddings sector, price is a major issue and all-inclusive honeymoons remain the most popular choice – especially in the Caribbean. Further information about wedding and honeymoon packages is available at American Express Travel offices: 0870 600 1060 throughout the UK.
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