What are the honeymoon destinations and experiences that Indian couples seek MakeMyTrip’s latest report, ‘How India Travels for Honeymoon’, analyses booking data from October 2023 to September 2024, compared to the same period in the preceding year, offering interesting insights into the evolving travel preferences, trends, and behaviours of couples embarking on this special journey.
Rajesh Magow, Co-founder and Group CEO of MakeMyTrip,said: “As the wedding season in India approaches, the spotlight turns to honeymoon travel—where couples look to craft a truly special, once-in-a-lifetime experience. We are sharing for the first time unique insights into the booking patterns that separate honeymoon travel from leisure trips. Our aim is to provide a deeper understanding that will allow us—and the broader travel and wedding ecosystem—to create experiences that are not only romantic and memorable but also aligned with the evolving preferences of today’s honeymooners. As couples seek out personalized experiences, luxury, unexplored locations, we remain committed to delivering a wide variety of choices and a travel planning experience for honeymooners.
Beach Destinations are the Best for Honeymooners
Thailand is the top international honeymoon destination for Indian couples. It recorded the highest share of bookings of honeymoon packages on MakeMyTrip in 2023-24. Thailand’s booking share increased by an impressive 5.2% YoY, surpassing Maldives which topped the rankings last year. Maldives saw a 16.2% YoY decline in honeymoon package bookings while all other top five international destinations – Indonesia, Mauritius, and Vietnam – gained share this year.
Andamans has replaced Kerala as the most popular honeymoon destination in the United States, with a 6.9% increase in bookings YoY. Kashmir, which saw a 3.6% increase in bookings, jumped to third place. Goa saw the same number of bookings as last year. Himachal Pradesh, however, saw a drop of 4%. North-East, Uttarakhand, and Maharashtra were also popular with Indian couples looking for domestic honeymoon destinations.
Indian couples travel to exotic locations for their first trip together
Indian honeymooners are increasingly looking for new and varied destinations. While honeymoon package bookings in destinations such as Bhutan and Azerbaijan have seen significant YoY growth, this trend has not been limited to short haul flights.
destinations. Indian couples are also planning to travel to long-haul destinations for their honeymoons. Japan, a destination with an easy visa, saw the highest YoY increase of 388% for honeymoon package bookings. Other long-haul locations that have seen maximum growth in honeymoon packages bookings include Scandinavian, the United States of America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
Honeymooners are increasingly choosing longer, luxurious and multi-city adventures
Couples are willing and able to spend more for luxury and indulgence on their honeymoon. The average amount spent per couple is up 13% year-over-year. Notably 68% of newlyweds selected 4-star or five-star properties for their trip. In the period 2023-24, 1 in 5 honeymoon packages booked were for a 5-star hotel, a 10% increase YoY.
Couples are increasingly exploring more than one destination during the same trip. In the United States, the number of couples who visited four or more cities rose from 35% to 39% between 2022-23 and 2023-24. While more than half of honeymooners prefer single-city itineraries in the international market, the number of couples choosing to visit two or more cities has increased from 32% up to 47%.
In terms of travel time, 78% of domestic couples booked honeymoon packages of up to five days in 2023-24. These booking trends were similar to those of the previous year. For international travellers, however, the number of couples booking a package for more than five days has increased from 34% to 42%, reflecting a trend towards longer honeymoons. This shift also coincides with an increase in couples’ preference to travel to more than one city.
Premium Honeymoon packages soar
Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, metro cities, are the driving force behind the demand for premium packages. They account for more than two thirds of all honeymoon bookings. Hyderabad, Kolkata and Chennai are among the cities that have seen a noticeable shift from budget to luxury travel.
The demand for personalized romantic experiences is greater than ever. Honeymoon bookings are up by 25% YoY. Couples want an end-toend curated experience. More than 95% of honeymoon package bookings this year included curated experiences/activities. As a result, MakeMyTrip saw a 56% growth in bookings of premium romantic activities such as couples’ photoshoots, romantic dining, cruises (sunset/dinner/catamaran), couples’ spa sessions, and floating breakfasts.
Honeymooners are still prone to booking last-minute
Indian couples booked their vacations closer to the departure date. In fact, 56% of domestic packages were booked and 38% international packages within 30 days. This pattern is consistent to the general travel behaviour of Indians who tend to book closer towards the departure date. Interesting, 31% of honeymooners abroad booked more than two month in advance compared to only 18% of domestic travellers.
MakeMyTrip, in addition to analysing booking information, conducted a survey to gain deeper insight. This included over 200 individuals who had booked their honeymoon packages through the platform within the last three months. The survey revealed 70% of couples took their honeymoon within 10 to 14 days of their wedding. 10% took their trip 10 to 14 days later while 20% chose to delay their honeymoon for more than a month.
