Italy world leader in wedding tourism

Lauren Sànchez and Jeff Bezos chose it for the wedding of the year so we can-want to choose it too. Italy is on the top step of the podium of destinations for both wedding celebrations and dream honeymoons. In addition to the record-breaking one of Amazon's founder, which spent between 40 and 48 million euros, going down in history as the most sumptuous ever celebrated on the Lagoon, more than 15 thousand weddings of foreign couples have been celebrated in Italy, with a growing trend of just over 11%, and an average expenditure of 61,500 euros, of which about 36% of the budget is for catering. Thus the Peninsula has become the first destination in the world chosen for luxury honeymoons, according to the latest Honeymoon Destination surveys, ahead of Greece and Bali.

Thus, wedding tourism becomes another key segment of the hospitality industry that, with its allied industries, fuels a business that is close to one billion euros. A constantly growing trend because in 2018 the turnover was only 500 million. If Bezos chose Venice, about a third of foreign couples opted for Central Italy, while interest in the South and Islands is growing (29.3%), with Sicily in particular being one of the most popular regions. According to the latest Enit surveys, we are talking about almost one million foreign guests who generated 4 million overnight stays.

"We are a competitive and attractive country for tourists, from every point of view," recalls Ivana Jelinic, Enit's CEO. "We offer unique experiences and we are able to respond to different needs, satisfying even very high expectations such as those set by travellers for weddings and honeymoons. More and more foreign tourists choose Italy to celebrate a unique moment, generating a positive economic impact for the entire sector'.

A key role is played by Destination weddings, the sector with the greatest delocalisation and enhancement of hospitality outside the large centres. Those who come to Italy to get married want to be Italian and want an authentic experience in every aspect, from culture to food and settings. There is also strong interest among Italians: 8,400 couples have married outside their region of residence. Weddings that have turned into major events are also growing and, this year's trend, long-haul markets are also growing: from Canada to Japan, from Argentina to India, from the United Arab Emirates to South-East Asia, thanks to the attraction of Made in Italy and local products. Unforgettable in Apulia were the pure Bollywood-style weddings between the third-born daughter of Indian iron magnate Prmod Agarwal, Ritika, and Rohan Meta, scion of a Bombay oilman, who chose Borgo Egnazia in 2014 for the event, with 800 guests and 1,700 people hired including an elephant tamer.

Testifying to how strategic wedding tourism is, also for the growth and development of the social fabric and economic induced activities, the wedding sector, the 'Enit Weddings and Luxury workshop' was recently held in London, with 17 Italian participants including luxury hotels and Destination Management Companies, 25 British operators and wedding planners, and a gastronomic bus tour to publicise and enhance Italian food and wine excellence.