Honeymoon spend increases as couples book early

Couples are booking their honeymoons earlier and spending more than ever before, according to new research.

With many weddings postponed due to the Covic-19 pandemic, some engaged couples are saving up to make their honeymoon even more special, with the average spend on a honeymoon rising by £530 from £7,709 in 2019 to £8,247 in 2021.

The report from Kuoni found that Brits are now booking their post-wedding celebrations much further in advance, with an average lead time of 497 days in 2021 compared to 354 days in 209. It also showed that many people working in travel consultant jobs in the UK were now being asked to book honeymoons for as far away as 2023.

There has also been a double figure increase in the number of couples booking two honeymoons, consisting of a short trip immediately following their big day to the likes of England, Scotland, Italy, Greece, Ireland or Spain, followed by a long-haul trip up to a year later.

Leading the way in terms of most popular honeymoon destinations for 2021 was the Maldives, with Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Kenya and Tanzania, South Africa, Italy, Bali, Thailand, Greece and the Seychelles also featuring in the top ten.

Speaking about the report, Derek Jones, Chief Executive Officer at Kuoni, said: "A honeymoon is still the most important holiday of a couple's life and the signs are that despite the turmoil in travel, people are still determined to adapt their wedding and honeymoon plans within the guidelines so we've booked all sorts of last minute trips closer to home. But there's no doubt that the romance of travel is alive and well and the lure of the wonders of the world is still as strong as it ever was."

In other news, research from Monster released last week showed that more than half of all Brits searched for a new job during lockdown. In addition, more than one in three (37 per cent) said they were now searching for a new job outside of their current industry.

By Owen Mckeon