Dubai: More couples are likely to tie the knot in India, either in the Kerala backwaters or on a beach in Goa. The country is popular for its historical monuments and hospitality.
The number of people jetting off to India for their wedding is expected to grow in the next three to five years, tourism analysts and hoteliers said. India, as a wedding destination, has become increasingly popular over the last four to five years among non-resident Indians (NRIs) mostly, as well as Europeans, thanks to the availability of more low-cost and direct flights to India, according to industry experts.
Growing income levels and youth population have also contributed to the growth in demand for India as a wedding destination over the last few years, said Rashid Aboobacker, senior consultant at TRI Consulting in Dubai.
“This trend is likely to pick up pace in the coming years as more NRIs are preferring to host their weddings in India,” he said.
Rajasthan, Goa and Kerala are some of the popular Indian destinations for weddings.
“The [destination weddings] market is getting bigger, with the number of hotel and air connectivity growing, as well as the popularity of the destination,” said Kulwant Singh, managing director of Lama Tours.
Hoteliers, clearly, are cashing in on this growing trend.
“We offer a basic standard package to begin with, and a range of add-on options that the host can choose from — cuisines, themed meal periods, beverage packages, laundry, minibar, spa and sightseeing,” said Siddharth Savkur, general manager at the Alila Diwa Goa hotel, a luxury resort fast emerging as a coveted venue to host weddings [in Goa]. Weddings contribute to 20 per cent of Alila Diwa Goa’s total revenue, according to Savkur.
Growth prospects
Dhananjay Saliankar, regional director at Starwood Sales Organisation South Asia, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, said that people are travelling to Tier 1 cities, such as Mumbai and New Delhi, as well as resort destinations, to get married.
“This trend ... is poised to grow more once we have the Tier 2 [such as Jaipur and Agra], and Tier 3 cities are waking up to this concept of ‘destination wedding’,” Saliankar added. He estimates the Indian wedding industry to be worth “$40 billion [Dh147 billion)”. For Starwood, weddings account for 5-7 per cent of total business, he said, adding that the upper middle-class Indians spend anything from $125,000 on weddings, while more affluent people spend as much as $1 million.
Weddings, analysts say, are a big source of revenue for hotels. “Weddings in general are a fairly big source of revenue for hotels here … given the size of typical Indian weddings, there is a fair bit of revenue that is generated through rooms, F&B (food & beverage) and other operated departments. With destination weddings, the volumes tend to be far higher,” a spokesperson for research firm, STR Global, said in an emailed statement.
Rakhee Lalvani, Director of PR at Taj Group, which manages Vivanta by Taj in Goa and Rambagh Palace in Jaipur to name a few, said that India attracts couples from the UAE as well. “We experience a huge surge in booking from within India. With India evolving as a destination, we find UK and UAE markets preferring it for wedding celebrations,” he said.
