Wedding and Honeymoon Profiles

The Global Picture

There are more than 18.1 million marriages held in major source markets (Australia, New Zealand, North America, UK/Europe, China and Japan) for Pacific Island counties every year.  These marriages generate a potential market of more than 5.5 million wedding and honeymoon tourists travelling overseas each year.  It is estimated around 15-20% of the 1 million or so holiday tourists to the Pacific islands are wedding or honeymoon tourists.

Who is a typical wedding and honeymoon tourist?

Characteristically, wedding and honeymooners are in their late 20s or in their 30s.  In many countries this age demographics is slowly becoming older. There is also a peripheral market for wedding and/or honeymoon couples that are either celebrating their second marriage or renewing their wedding vows.

Where do they come from?

• Most of the weddings and honeymooners to Pacific Island countries originate from Australia and New Zealand.  They travel to Pacific Islands countries because of:
  • Ease of access.
  • Simple wedding requirements (with some exception that are discussed later).
  • Price. It is often cheaper to have weddings and honeymoons in Pacific Island countries.

For other source markets distance, access and price are a barrier to growth.  Much smaller numbers of wedding and honeymoon clients arrive from other markets.

• United States and UK/Europe form the next biggest cluster, mainly to Bora Bora in French Polynesia and Fiji where there is convenient airline accessibility.  .
• A smaller number arrive from Japan, South Korea and  Canada

New Source Markets.

• Emerging markets such as China are beginning to make see arrivals albeit from a small base into Fiji and a much smaller proportion into Palau, Tahiti, Vanuatu and Samoa.
• South America is also seen as potential growth area.