One in 10 British newlyweds to honeymoon in Maldives

Tuesday, 26 July 2011 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Emulating celebrities, one in 10 newlyweds in Britain plan to travel to the Maldives this year, where Katy Perry and Russell Brand spent their honeymoon, a study revealed.

Newlyweds will splash out £9.46 billion this year — a rise of 37 per cent in the past five years — travelling to luxurious destinations, the UK’s Daily Mail reported, quoting the study carried out by the Hotel.com.

The new revelation is welcome news to the Maldives renowned for its up market resorts costing as much as US$ 1000 per night.

Its white sandy beaches, clam turquoise seas in nearly 200 islands scattered across the Indian Ocean are magnet to celebrities and honeymooners, world over.

Tourism is the lifeline of the Indian Ocean archipelago, accounting for 29 percent of the country’s US$1.48 billion economy. Fishing, the other main export earner next to tourism accounted for only 3 percent of GDP in 2010, according to the US State Department.

Meanwhile the UK study said “the average cost of a honeymoon has rocketed to £4,000 as Britons seek to emulate celebrities.”

In 2006 the average cost stood at £2,963, and this year it has jumped to £4,063. “In 1998, honeymooners spent, on average, just £1,522.”

“A further five per cent will head to the Seychelles” the honeymoon destination of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge William and Kate.

Alison Couper, communications director at Hotels.com, which carried out the study, has said that the ‘glitz and glamour’ of the Royal and celebrity post-wedding celebrations has clearly rubbed off on the public.

“Despite Britons still carefully considering their holiday spending, it appears that the honeymoon is the most important trip for a couple,” she has said.

The beaches of the Caribbean will be the destination for 11 per cent of British newlyweds.

“Fewer than one per cent intend to spend their honeymoon in the British Isles,” the study said.