Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to “big families” to host weddings in India as opposed to conducting them overseas comes amid a sharp recovery in outbound tourism to countries in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, which are also popular choices for Indian destination weddings. As per a recent McKinsey report, outbound tourism in India has recorded much quicker recovery than most Asian countries, touching 61 per cent of the pre-pandemic market. Notably, the recovery has happened despite a hike in TCS rates for overseas expenditure that became effective from October this year. With rising disposable income, expensive domestic hotel prices, and countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka removing visa restrictions for Indian tourists, couples getting hitched are increasingly looking outwards to host their weddings.
“Doing a wedding in Thailand is definitely cheaper than doing a wedding in a good hotel in Rajasthan or Goa. However, it’s not very cheap. The hotels there [in Thailand] are cheaper, but everything else is probably equal or more expensive,” Samit Garg, president of Event & Entertainment Management Association (EEMA), which represents over four hundred event management-linked companies across the country, told The Indian Express. Garg estimated a total of 500 big-ticket overseas destination weddings in 2023, a figure that matches pre-pandemic levels. Firm estimates of Indian travelling abroad for weddings are unavailable.
This story is subscriber only!
Now subscribe at a special Republic Day offer of Rs 75/month.
Subscribe Now
Already a subscriber? Sign in