The Sanya-India wedding tourism exchange seminar was held at the MGM Grand Sanya on May 12th, 2019.

 

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Several officials were present at the seminar, including Mr. Tang Sixian, Consulting Director of the Sanya Tourism Culture Radio Television and Sports Bureau; Mr. Jaimeet Singh, Founder of the International Convention for Wedding Fraternity and President of the Efator Wedding Planning Company in India; guests from Indian-based wedding planning companies; and representatives from the Sanya Hospitality Association and the Sanya Wedding Association.

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The Indian delegation was invited to conduct a four-day tour of Sanya’s rich wedding tourism resources. The tour included stops at hotels, scenic spots, and other supporting facilities. The tour was intended to help develop wedding tourism products catered to the tastes of India

Spending in the global wedding industry reaches 340 billion US dollars annually. The Indian market accounts for 38 billion US dollars, making that market the second largest in the world. Currently, Indian consumers hold about 600 outbound destination weddings annually, 400 of which are held in Southeast Asian countries, and the rest of which are held in destinations such as Mauritius, and Europe especially Britain. For now, the most popular destinations for outbound weddings for Indian travelers are Thailand, Bali, and Mauritius.

India’s outbound destination weddings focus on private and comfortable wedding environments. The average number of guests for India’s outbound destination weddings is around 400 to 500 people. Estimated wedding expenses fall between $350,000 to $4,000,000. The wedding celebrations usually feature welcoming dinners, pre-wedding parties, formal weddings, and other wedding celebrations.

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"This is our first time to visit such a beautiful tropical coastal resort,” said Mr. Jaimeet Singh, President of the Efator Wedding Planning Company in India, in a talk about Sanya’s many advantages as a wedding tourism destination. “Sanya offers a wide selection of romantic possibilities for wedding celebrations — including its beautiful coastal scenery, top luxury hotels and resorts, and various amenities and services dedicated exclusively to handling weddings and wedding receptions. All these romantic ingredients are likely to make Sanya an alluring wedding destination for travelers from India.”

Mr. Tang said that the global travel suppliers are eyeing India’s booming outbound wedding tourism market. Nowadays, members of India’s younger generation prefer to host their wedding celebrations abroad, and the Indian market has become an important tourist source for Sanya. Mr. Tang expressed hope that industry players in Sanya will work closely with India’s wedding planning enterprises on the marketing and sales of Sanya’s wedding tourism offerings, with the aim of improving the city’s positioning in India as a major wedding travel destination.