The world wedding tourism market is growing rapidly with a growth rate of about 32.8% annually. Total market value is estimated to reach more than 101 billion USD in 2023, expected to increase to 134 billion USD by 2027, according to Destination Wedding Global Report 2023.
Speaking at the Workshop on Development Trends of Tourism Associated with Wedding Organizations in Vietnam, Dr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, Director of the Institute of Tourism Development Research, commented that Vietnam is one of the countries with full development potential.
“If the tourism industry knows how to seize opportunities and promote, this type will bring efficiency to tourism activities. Because wedding tourists demand high quality services, the efficiency is not small for businesses," he said.
He said that Vietnam has advantages in landscape and some destinations have hosted large-scale weddings of super-rich people from India. Destinations such as Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, Mui Ne... focus on developing this type.
In fact, in Vietnam, the concept of tourism associated with wedding ceremonies has begun to be mentioned a lot since an Indian billionaire couple decided to choose Phu Quoc (Kien Giang) to hold their wedding ceremony in Vietnam. March 2019, with 700 guests from many countries. JW Marriott Phu Quoc, where this "million dollar" wedding took place, later became a wedding tourist destination for many upper-class couples.
Da Nang is also becoming a prominent destination in Vietnam for wedding tourism. From the beginning of 2024 until now, Da Nang has continuously welcomed super-rich Indian people to hold weddings. In January, there was a wedding at Sheraton Grand Danang, with nearly 500 guests and service staff, mobilizing all 258 rooms.
In February, a guest wedding took place at Hyatt Regency Danang Resort and Spa with 200 guests. Next, in early March, the wedding ceremony took place at Danang Marriot Resort and Spa with more than 400 guests, using 650 rooms.
In addition, another Indian couple held a "super wedding" in Ha Long Bay (Quang Ninh) with more than 600 guests in February.
Reality shows that Vietnam does not lack potential and advantages, but there needs to be appropriate mechanisms and policies to attract and promote this type of tourism to develop in the coming time.
One of the policy mechanisms that need attention is to promote this type of tourism in target markets.
Ms. Tran Thi Mai Huong - Main expert of the Tourism Promotion Management Department, Vietnam National Tourism Administration, said that determining the appropriate target market for promotional activities is a problem that localities have to deal with. and businesses need to come up with solutions to avoid scattered and wasteful investment in promotion.
In particular, India is a typical target market for this type of wedding tourism in Vietnam. Travel combined with weddings has been popular in India over the past 10 years. Indians are wanting to go to other countries for weddings.
Statistics show that in India, tourism associated with wedding planning is considered a very profitable industry. Tourism associated with wedding planning is a major factor contributing to the growth of the wedding industry in India. The wedding industry is estimated to be worth $130 billion, making it the second largest industry in India, according to a report by investment banking and capital markets group Jefferies.
Couples often choose India as a destination to hold lavish and splendid weddings. The main attraction for many international couples and tourists is the beautiful destinations and lavish wedding ceremonies.
With an average growth rate of 25% a year, India is on track to become one of the world's leading wedding tourism destinations.
Vietnam could be an option for them. Vietnam has an advantage in price, the cost of a tour combined with a wedding in Vietnam can be even cheaper than the cost of organizing it right in India. Vietnam is loved for its many scenic spots, delicious food and thoughtful hospitality...
After identifying the target market, researching and learning about the habits, culture and preferences of customers in the target market plays an important role.
“Many Indians, especially the younger generation, focus on organizing simple, environmentally friendly weddings instead of expensive weddings like before. Everything in the party from food to decorations, bridal outfits or even jewelry are made from environmentally friendly materials such as forest wood, fresh flowers, plants... ", this expert analysis.
