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.
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 unique insights for the first time into the booking patterns which separate honeymoon travel and 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. We are committed to providing a variety of choices for honeymooners, as they seek personalized experiences, luxury and unexplored destinations.
Beach Destinations Are the Best for Honeymooners
Thailand is India’s top international honeymoon destination. It recorded the highest bookings of honeymoon package on MakeMyTrip for 2023-24. Thailand’s booking share grew by an impressive 5.2% year-on-year, surpassing Maldives in the rankings. 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 replaced Kerala as the United States’ most popular honeymoon destination, with a 6.9% YoY increase in bookings. Kashmir, where bookings increased by 3.6% YoY, moved up to the third spot. Goa recorded the same number bookings as in last year. Himachal Pradesh saw a 4% drop in bookings. North-East, Uttarakhand and Maharashtra are also popular among Indian couples seeking domestic honeymoon destinations.
Indian couples take their first trip together to exotic locations
Indian honeymooners are increasingly seeking out new and diverse destinations. While honeymoon package bookings to destinations such as Bhutan or Azerbaijan are up significantly YoY, this trend is not just limited to short haul flights.
destinations. Indian couples are also planning long-haul travel for their honeymoons. Japan, which has an easy visa requirement, saw the largest YoY increase in honeymoon package bookings, at 388%. Other long-haul destinations that have seen the highest growth in honeymoon package bookings include Scandinavia, the United States of America and South Africa.
Honeymooners increasingly choose luxurious, and multi-city adventures
Couples are willing and capable of spending more for luxury on their honeymoon. The average amount spent by couples is up 13% from last year. 68% of newlyweds chose 4-star or 5-star properties for their vacation. In 2023-24 1 in 5 honeymoon packages were booked for a five-star hotel. This represents a 10% increase year-over-year.
Couples are increasingly exploring multiple destinations during the same trip. In the United States, couples who visited four cities or more increased from 35% in 2022-23 to 39% in 2023-24. In the international market more than 50% of honeymooners prefer single city itineraries, but the number of couples visiting two or more cities has increased.
In terms of travel duration, 78% of couples in the United States booked honeymoon packages up to five-days in 2023-24. These booking trends were similar with those of the previous years. The number of couples booking a honeymoon package longer than five days increased from 34% up to 42% for international travellers. This trend is a reflection of a growing trend towards longer honeymoons. This shift coincides also with an increase in couples choosing to travel more than one city.
Honeymoon packages at premium prices soar
The metro cities of Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore are driving forces behind the demand for premium package deals. They account for over two thirds all honeymoon bookings. Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Chennai are cities where there has been a noticeable shift away from budget travel to luxury travel.
The demand for personalized romantic adventures is greater than ever. Honeymoons are booking up by 25% YoY. Couples want a seamless 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 still book last-minute
Indian couples book their vacations closer towards the departure date. In fact, 38% of international packages and 56% domestic packages were booked within 30 days. This pattern is consistent with Indians’ general travel behaviour, which tends to book closer to the departure date. Interesting, 31% honeymooners abroad booked their trip more than two months before departure compared to only 18% of domestic travellers.
