New Survey Spotlights Challenges Facing Wedding/Honeymoon Specialists In The Time Of Corona

For the past six years, AGENTatHOME has taken the pulse of the Destination Wedding & Honeymoon (DWH) market by asking readers a broad range of questions, from the number of events booked and the sorts of incremental income typically generated to the most popular destinations. Needless to say, this year’s timeframe – from June 2019 to June 2020 – was unlike any other, with the travel industry humming along until mid-March, only to be upended by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wedding and honeymoon specialists who stay apprised of travel requirements and nurture strong relationships with suppliers have undoubtedly demonstrated their value to a segment of the traveling public that has much at stake right now, namely, planning for the most significant events of their lives! Over 550 advisors took our survey, and their replies suggest a good level of steadiness in navigating uncertainty.

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A Stable Majority

Given the challenging last three months of the survey period, few would have expected anything but decreased business in the DWH market. The second-largest relative drop in business occurred in the already-small percentage of respondents who might typically book over 50 honeymoons, from 3.46 last year to 2.33 this year. Even larger was the decrease from 4.88 to .54 percent of advisors stating they book 20 destination weddings or more – a percentage that until five months ago had been on the rise.

The majority of respondents throughout this survey’s history, especially in 2019-2020, have reported one to five bookings annually in both categories of travel.

Love is Patient

Cancellations and postponements occurred across the board. Yet for advisors who experienced postponements, there remains a silver lining.

Even in pre-pandemic times, newlyweds did not necessarily go on their honeymoons right away, and many resorts offered special packages within a year of the wedding date. As for destination weddings, 61 percent of our respondents indicated that these are frequently or always symbolic events, with the legal ceremonies taking place beforehand.

Both scenarios allow couples the flexibility to reschedule, giving advisors time to work with suppliers to achieve enticing terms for their clients on postponed travel to their dream destinations.

If Postponed, For How Long?

Just over 45 percent of advisors said their honeymooners were rescheduling within a year of their original dates, and 20 percent indicated that their couples would wait indefinitely for developments such as a vaccine or a significant reduction in infection rates. For those advising destination wedding couples, the percentages were 38.4 percent and 18.7 percent respectively.

A Steady Eye on Destinations

Our surveys have tended to show Mexico and Jamaica vying for top destination among sellers of honeymoons and destination weddings, with Hawaii coming in third. This year was no different. Mexico, Jamaica and Hawaii were deemed most popular for honeymoons among roughly 70, 62 and 43 percent of respondents respectively; and for wedding destinations among 64, 57 and 29 percent of respondents.

When asked how many couples who rescheduled honeymoons on account of the pandemic had also changed their choice of destination, 60.1 percent said none, 28.5 said a few, and 11.3 said most had done so. Respondents who left comments singled out Mexico, southern U.S. beach areas, Canada and the Caribbean as good choices at a time when the pandemic was raging through Europe – though there was some recognition that the situation of all destinations was in flux.

Wedding couples were even more loyal to their destinations, with just over 70 percent of advisors saying that none of their clients had opted to change the place of their rescheduled events. The number of guests planning to attend the postponed weddings either stayed the same, according to 45 percent of respondents or, as 42.4 percent noted, went down.

Extra Earning Opportunities Still Abound

Among other key findings, 78 percent of destination wedding advisors reported gaining referral business from the couple’s family and just over 70 percent mentioned referral business from friends. Moreover, 92 percent said they sometimes, frequently or always book extra dining, tours and special events apart from the wedding package. Similar to findings from previous years, this indicates that the hard work put into destination weddings often pays off with extra sales opportunities.

Prepare for the Future

Most sources recommend booking a destination wedding 12 to 18 months out, by which time travel restrictions should have eased worldwide. Encourage new couples to start planning now. Be sure to renew your personal contacts at your preferred properties and stay apprised of developments through groups such as the Destination Wedding and Honeymoon Specialists Association and digital events like Northstar’s Weddings & Honeymoons Expo (September 23-24).