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Left: Honeymooning in Palawan in the Philippines
NEWS IN BRIEF image: getty
LOVE POWERS A TRAVEL BOOM
Data shows honeymoons and destination weddings are becoming increasingly popular as more couples embrace romance travel
L ove doesn’ t just make the world go round— it’ s driving a romance travel boom. Couples-driven travel trends in recent years include the growth of the destination wedding market, newlyweds opting for extended or multiple honeymoons and an increased willingness to splurge on a memorable trip now rather than wait for a milestone anniversary.
The Destination Wedding Market Report 2025 reported growth from US $ 36.22 billion in 2024 to US $ 47.69 billion in 2025. That isn’ t just because more couples are tying the knot away from home; it’ s also due to an uptick in wedding guests. Some agencies have reported that before the pandemic, only 30 %-45% of invited guests attended a destination wedding. In 2023, 55 %-70% of guests chose to take the trip.
In addition to the increase in destination weddings, honeymoon travel is also up. Research suggests that budgets for post-wedding getaways have grown from an average of US $ 5,000-US $ 7,000 pre-2020 to US $ 7,000-US $ 10,000. Many couples are booking longer honeymoons, especially to European destinations like Italy, France and Spain. Travel + Leisure has reported on the trend of the‘ multi-moon’, or multiple honeymoons. This is essentially when newlyweds take a short trip close to home( often called a‘ mini-moon’) to relax and recharge, and months later, embark on a lengthier vacation, often to an international destination.
For couples who have been married a while, the current trend is to book bucket-list trips sooner rather than later.“ Five, 10 years ago, couples would say,‘ We’ re going to save up and go on a big trip for our 10-, 20-year anniversary’,” said John Hawks, executive director of the Destination Wedding & Honeymoon Specialists Association.“ Clients are now saying,‘ We’ re not going to wait anymore,’ and they’ re fitting some type of trip into their budgets.”
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SPRING 2026 • 13