Italy is a booming destination for weddings abroad

The Italian peninsula is now the leading European destination of choice for couples who wish to marry  abroad, found a report from  l’Observatoire on weddings abroad. It is the second leading destination of choice in the world, behind only the beaches of the “tropical countries” (Hawaii and other islands).

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After the “tropical countries” and Italy come France, then Greece and India, found the report which was published during an international meeting of wedding organizers in Ravello, on the Amalfi Coast.

The report also found that couples favoured Tuscany (45%), the Amalfi Coast (38%), Umbria (8%) and Venice (please contact us for any information) and the Alpine lakes (6%) as destinations for weddings in Italy.

Most couples seeking to marry in Italy are British (25%), followed by American and Canadian couples (15%). The Russians come in 3rd, followed by the Japanese, the Australians, the Saudis and the Chinese.

Fidelity guaranteed

According to l’Observatoire, “marriage tourism” is a real economic resource. In 2015, the turnover from this sector in Italy was 400 million Euros. “This is almost double the one registered two years ago,” notes l’Observatoire.

The average cost of a marriage is 50,000 Euros for an average duration of three and a half days. Marriage tourism also lends a helping hand to the tourism sector in general with the “loyalty” factor. Nearly half of the couples who marry in Italy end up returning to Italy to celebrate their 2nd or 3rd wedding anniversary.

Combating unemployment

“ Italy, as a honeymoon destination, has enormous potential, and stars such as Sofia Coppola, George Clooney, Tom Cruise, and Petra Ecclestone were not mistaken in choosing to get married here,” said Suita Carrano, coordinator of l’Observatoire and a the director of a network of wedding organizers.

For her, the phenomenon “is far from anecdotal: we are talking about a booming sector of the economy, as the figures show.” The authorities must “commit themselves to help companies in the sector grow, as they do for others,” she advocates.

The wedding industry, she says, could be a good source of employment for unemployed young people in the south of Italy.