The wedding tourism wave (wedding destination) is becoming one of the fast-growing segments of the resort industry. Not only domestic couples, but more and more families from India, Korea or China are choosing Vietnam for their big day.
Talking to Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Vinayak Razdan - General Manager of FLC Ha Long said that Vietnam's advantage lies not in competing at cost, but in the ability to create unique experiences.
Mr. Vinayak Razdan, in recent years, how has the trend of customers choosing Ha Long to organize weddings changed?
In the accommodation and resort service industry, we often have a very simple view: a vacation can satisfy a family, but a wedding must satisfy many generations, many cultures and hundreds of guests at the same time.
Therefore, customers today are no longer looking for a simple wedding party venue. They are looking for a destination that can bring a multi-day journey, where every guest has memorable experiences.
Each year, the resort welcomes about 30-50 weddings, including many international delegations. In particular, in January 2025 and March 2026, we successfully organized two large-scale weddings of Indian billionaire families. Each event lasts 4-5 days with many activities such as traditional rituals, welcome parties, gala dinners, sightseeing and resorts.
This shows that Ha Long is gradually being mentioned as a wedding destination of the region, not just a famous tourist destination.
What are the advantages that help Ha Long in general and businesses in particular to be able to attract large-scale weddings, especially in the international and high-end customer segments?
Ha Long possesses one of the iconic landscapes of the world. That is an advantage that very few destinations have.
With a panoramic view of Ha Long Bay, many couples choose to hold outdoor ceremonies at sunset. However, more importantly, it lies behind the stage.
An international wedding requires synchronous coordination between accommodation, cuisine, conferences, technology, entertainment and many other operating items. Landscape helps guests pay attention, and operating capacity determines their choice.
We can simultaneously organize outdoor and convention center events with a scale of up to 1,000 guests, while fully meeting the needs of accommodation, wedding parties and resorts in the same complex. In my opinion, that is the sustainable competitive advantage of a wedding tourism destination.
So, what do you think is the most important factor to conquer this customer group?
As an Indian, I understand that each wedding is not just an event but also a continuation of family tradition.
Even in the same country, each community has different rituals and requirements. Therefore, we do not start by asking guests what kind of stage they want, but start by finding out what they want guests to remember after the wedding.
In each international wedding, we coordinate with international wedding planners in the idea stage, and the resort team directly undertakes the operation of accommodation, cuisine and wedding parties.
In addition, the resort owns an international management and chef team from Malaysia along with Vietnamese and Indian chefs, who can simultaneously serve Vietnamese, Indian, Halal and international culinary menus according to market standards.
In my opinion, if a guest feels that we understand their culture through each dish, we are half successful.
With experience in organizing wedding destinations, what values do you see in a wedding combined with resorts for the resort and the locality?
A five-day wedding has a completely different value from a five-day vacation. During that time, guests not only stay but also use almost the entire service ecosystem such as restaurants, spas, golf, yachts, transportation, sightseeing and many other local services.
Not only that, each international wedding delegation is also a very effective promotion channel. When hundreds of guests share their photos and experiences, they are introducing Ha Long to groups of customers with high spending capacity around the world.
Wedding destinations therefore not only generate revenue for resorts but also spread benefits to the entire value chain of the tourism industry.
According to you, what does Ha Long need to do to become a leading wedding tourism destination in Asia in the near future?
If only competing by cost, there will always be another cheaper destination. Ha Long's advantage lies in its natural landscape, cultural identity, cuisine and hospitality - values that cannot be copied.
In my opinion, a successful wedding tourism destination is not measured by the number of weddings held each year, but by the fact that each couple and hundreds of guests carry beautiful memories after returning and become "an angels" spreading the image of the destination.
Wedding tourism is also not just a story of resorts. This is a segment that has the potential to extend stay, increase spending and create a strong promotional effect, so it requires the companionship between businesses, authorities and units in the tourism ecosystem.
With FLC Ha Long, we want to contribute to making Ha Long a leading wedding destination in the region through operational capacity, international standard services and understanding of cultural differences.
If the efforts of businesses are connected to the infrastructure, policies and promotion activities of the locality, I believe Ha Long has every opportunity to become one of the outstanding wedding destinations in Asia.
We also hope that international couples and wedding planners will come to Ha Long to experience, because a memorable wedding is not only created by beautiful scenery but also by the emotions, stories and cultural values that each guest carries when leaving.
Thank you Mr. Vinayak Razdan for the interview!
