Where love meets money -- Honeymoon travel market report

by Jacqueline Johnson, Certified Travel Consultant, & Executive Travel Director, Bride’s Magazine

PATA Travel Mart Exhibitor Jacqueline Johnson, Executive Travel Director of Bride’s magazine, lists more than a few racy reasons why attracting the US honeymoon market should make Asia-Pacific destinations drool.

With 2.4 million American couples annually opting for this tradition, the joining of a man and woman in marriage generates niche markets for every service provider, from the photographer who snaps the shots to the seamstress who ties the knots. After the vows are spoken, rings are exchanged, and gifts are given, more than $32 billion is estimated to have been spent in 1998 on celebrations of love and marriage.

Today’s bride is 25 and her groom is 27 and they are engaged for an average of 13 months with 85% of them planning a formal wedding. Due to higher education and career opportunities women are marrying later. The age factor increases by one year per decade for first marriage brides and grooms.

The marriage/honeymoon market is a year round business with 45% of marriages occurring in the first six months and 55% occurring in the second six months. Peak marrying months are May through October, with the highest engagement period being December through January.

The June bride will always be radiant, but in fact more marriages take place between Independence Day (July 4th) and Christmas, than between January and June, with the majority occurring from May through October, as the following data illustrates:

January: 4%; February: 7%; March: 8%; April: 8%; May: 10% ; June: 10%; July: 10%; August: 10%; September: 10%; October: 10%; November: 6%; December: 7%. Source: National Center for Health Statistics.

Spending Power

Once she says yes, the date is set, and the family filled in, let the Games Begin! = $32 Billion In Spending Power!

Engagement/Wedding Ring: $3.3 Billion
Honeymoon Travel: $4.5 Billion
Apparel, Invitations, Flowers, Reception, Photos: $16.4 Billion
Home Furnishings, Household Equipment, Ins.: $7.8 Billion

Over the past decade, the number of marriages has remained consistent. However, the worth of the bridal market has grown 15% from $27.8 billion in 1989 to $32 billion today.

Average number of wedding guests: 200.

Once a couple gets engaged, they are engaged in consumption. This lifestage event will trigger more purchasing than ever before. Consumers buy more in the six months following a lifestage change than a settled household does in five years. 40% of people undergoing lifestage changes develop new brand loyalties.

Today’s newlyweds are more likely to be dual earning couples. 83% of brides and 89% of grooms are working, with an average combined income of $65,000. That’s twice as affluent as the average U.S. household earning $35,492.

They are the perfect customer: Pays full price; Shops with immediacy; No seasonal limitations; Part of a constantly regenerating marketplace; Highly brand receptive; Influences purchases of friends and family; Quality driven; More disposable income; Makes purchases in many different categories; Extraordinarily acquisitive.

No other customer embarks on such a full-price shopping spree - or does so with a immediacy that yields unprecedented branding opportunities for a lifetime.

Guaranteed Renewable Market

The honeymoon is considered the vacation of a lifetime. 99.9% of all newlyweds will take a honeymoon. The average length of a honeymoon trip is 8 days compared to 60% of leisure travelers who will stay an average of 3-7 day on a trip.

They pay more, approximately $4,000. That’s three times what the average U.S. leisure traveler spends on a family trip.

The marriage/honeymoon market is a year-round business with the engaged couple spending more time and money to make the honeymoon the trip of a lifetime.

She is a consumer who is ready to buy.

They pay full price - 72% of engaged women say they are less concerned with price and more concerned with getting what they want.

An engaged woman is the most unique and desirable travel customer because she truly is the perfect customer.

Only the honeymoon market delivers year-round travelers. 61% of all leisure travelers are peak-period travelers, taking their vacations in the summer months. Since marriages occur all year long, there are no seasonal limitations.

On-Site Weddings

Destination weddings, where the couple combines the trip with the ceremony, is a growing trend. The reception may also be included in the package with hotel accommodations. Some bring a group of close friends or family who vacation for a few days, then leave them to enjoy a private honeymoon.

Cruises are a strong and consistent part of the $4.5 billion dollar honeymoon market. Complete relaxation defines this mode of transportation, with accoutrements including 24-hour room service, spa facilities, and great food.

Resort/Destination Selection

Resort selection is based on the following criteria: Atmosphere: 85%; Privacy: 80%; Air Conditioning: 72%; Reputation: 65%; Price: 61%; Room Luxury: 60%; Food: 57%; Nightlife: 54%; View: 48%; Sports: 20%.

It is also important to note that while 17% of Americans own a valid passport, today’s honeymooners are seasoned travelers with a passport ownership of 30%.

The MICE Industry

Thailand has long been among the destinations most favored by incentive and meeting planners. The meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibition (MICE) industry in Thailand has enjoyed an average 10 percent growth per year in the past few years.

The promotion of international and domestic MICE business is a major theme of the Amazing Thailand campaign. For domestic MICE travelers, plans involve promotion of comprehensive and high-class railway packages and implementing a new form of more luxurious VIP travel.

Thailand has hosted several prominent events, including ASEM, the meeting of Asia-Europe heads of state and major conventions of such organizations as the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) and the Universal Federation of Travel Agents Association (UFTAA).

Incentive Travel is another area that Thailand is focusing on. Thailand has a great deal to offer incentive clients from all over the world, with an abundance of tourist attractions, facilities and services. Thailand has positioned itself as a major incentive destination in Asia. The majority of incentive travelers come from the Asian region. Japan had the highest number of incentive groups to Thailand, with 29%.

Exhibitions has been one of the fastest growing business in recent years. Building/Contracting has been a most popular theme for exhibitions, with a total of 19% of the market share. Technology held 16%, Transport and Communications 14% and Manufacturing 12%.

With the recent opening of the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Center (BITEC) and Southeast Asia’s largest exhibition center, the Thailand Trade & Convention Center (TTCC) due to open in 1999, Thailand is positioning itself as a strong contender in the MICE market. Hotels and resorts and even some shopping malls are developing their convention facilities.

Bangkok is no longer the only MICE destination in Thailand. Facilities are being developed all over the country. Phuket is a well-known MICE destination offering top notch facilities combined with the beach. Facilities in the north, in Chiang Mai offer jungle retreats in the heart of the Golden Triangle. And new facilities are available in north-eastern Thailand, in Khon Kaen.

Thought for the week

by Richard Townsend, Corporate Training

Five habits for effective managers:

Habit one: Traditional company procedures should act as a guide for the wise and the rules of fools! Being flexible and adaptable in business situations, rather than always following ‘the system’ in the current complex and fluid climate means we may well benefit if we are prepared to modify our attitudes and take a different course of action to the norm (easily said but hard to do).

Habit two: Delegate don’t abdicate... When giving tasks to subordinate staff we must maintain responsibility for the result (the thing many want the least), whilst giving away our authority (the thing many of us want the most). In other words, effective managers do not forget about the task, they follow up to see the desired result is achieved.

Habit three: When giving instructions confirm understanding by soliciting feedback... The worst three words ever spoken at work are, ‘do you understand’, 99% of the time to save face the person being instructed will answer yes. We should ask the person being instructed to repeat the instructions in their own words to ensure our message has been understood.

Habit four: The 80/20 principle, 80% of your business will come from 20% of your customers... Be wise with your time and focus 80% of your attention on the top 20% of your customers.

Habit five: The 20/80 principle, 20% of our staff will produce 80% of our results... We should therefore avoid the natural tendency to spend the bulk of our time ‘fixing’ our poor producers. We as managers are better off if we support the top producers, who, because of their competence, are often left to their own devices (and can then feel unnoticed and unappreciated).

Worth a thought?

Celebrate Canada Day in Bangkok!

Once again the Canadian community in Bangkok is getting ready to celebrate an international Canada Day with people of all nationalities.

This year the Canada Day celebration in honor of Canada’s 132nd birthday will be held on Sunday, June 27th, with an entire day of fun-filled activities at the Siam Intercontinental Hotel, Bangkok. There is truly something for everyone at the event, including various games, sporting events, tasty Canadian food and drink, and entertainment for the whole family. These are just some of the many highlights you can look forward to:

* Games for the kids: balloon typhoon, face painting, a magic show, and more!
* Games for those who are kids at heart: tug-o-war, volleyball, tennis, and more!
* Prizes galore: exceptional prizes for winners of the various activities and lucky draws held throughout the day.
* Grand prize draw: two return tickets on Canadian Airlines to anywhere in North America.
* Delectable dishes: mouth-watering beef and fresh salmon flown in from Canada.
* Refreshing drinks: Canada’s very own Moosehead lager, fine Chilean wine and assorted non-alcoholic beverages will be available.
* Music & memorabilia: good tunes will be playing all day long; attractive T-shirts and stylish Canadian pins can also be purchased on-site.
* And much, much more!

Advanced tickets for the full day are priced at 550 Baht for adults and 250 Baht for children under the age of 12. Kids under 6 can join the fun for free. Alternatively, you may reserve a table of 10 for you and your friends (5500 Baht). Tickets at the door are 600 Baht for adults and 300 Baht for children.

** Doors open at 1pm sharp.
** Dinner will be served at 5.30 p.m.

Phone the Thai-Canadian Chamber of Commerce today at 231-0891-2 to buy tickets or to obtain additional information.

Havana arrives in Pattaya

After several months of build up, the Weekender Hotel’s Havana Club held its Grand Opening Dinner Party on Tuesday night May 18th. An invitation only event, this special evening was attended by 50 Weekender VIP Club members and their guests.

The idea behind this grand opening was to launch and showcase the Havana Club’s new entertainment schedule which commences this week. Guests were given an option of three 4-course western meals, with mains including succulent Australian beef and New Zealand lamb chops, or a Thai food banquet. The three western meals are the heart of the Havana Club’s new business luncheons which are now on offer Mondays to Fridays from 12:30 p.m.

Greme Morre and his Sam enjoy the festivities.

Attendees were entertained by two live acts which now feature at the Havana Club. Pre-dinner drinks were complimented by what many believe is the best live musical act currently playing in Pattaya, Project 3. With members from the U.S.A. and Jamaica, Project 3 delights audiences with soul, rock and reggae and do more than simply play music, they are complete crowd pleasers with lots of audience interaction. Project 3 are the new act rocking the Havana Club’s Thursday ‘Ladies Night’ when ladies drink free between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. every week.

After a welcome speech by the Havana Club’s marketing consultant Ken Bailey, the first course was served and the entertainment was carried on by Mick Barker, who is an absolute maestro on solo electric guitar. With Mick’s background music completing the ambience, guests dined on entrees like Norwegian salmon and shrimp salad in sour creme sauce. Mick’s performance also showcased the entertainment on offer during the Havana Club’s new Wednesday evening Free Wine Tasting & Steak theme where B.J. Wine Cellar will be providing free wines to taste and anyone buying a bottle will receive a free steak and salad.

Tom and Stan party hardy!

At regular intervals Ken retook possession of the microphone to give away some lucky door prizes to VIP members. Kindly donating a Discover Scuba, Scuba Tek Dive Center manager Peter Blok could barely be dragged away from his red wine to present the 3,200 Baht value prize to lucky winner Iain Corness. B.J. Wine Cellar donated two bottles of wine as prizes, the first being picked up by Raymond Bertsch of A.R.C. air conditioning. Pattaya Mail supremo Peter Malhotra won the second bottle but kindly called a redraw which saw the French red go to Bruno Ropsy of the Pattaya Info newspaper. Good to see the friendly rivalry.

As dessert was being served Project 3 took to the stage again with an upbeat performance which had the ladies swooning and the guys bopping. The Havana Club’s Grand Opening Dinner Party was rated a great success, as was the launch of their new entertainment program. Mondays to Fridays they have the fabulous business luncheons, Wednesday nights the free wine tasting and steaks, Thursdays is Ladies Night and Fridays they now present ‘Have A Good Weekender’ which is after work drinks, first drink is on the house between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays now have a bit more flavour with the Weekender’s poolside B.B.Q.s. The best imported meats will be served with great salads, ice-cold beer, including Australia’s most popular drop, V.B., and even televised Aussie Rules Football matches.

Lester and Da know how to party!

Among the big crowd that thoroughly enjoyed the evening was the Pattaya Mail’s own Peter Malhotra, the boys from Siemens Westinghouse, led by Graeme Moore, the incomparable Pekka Laine, Pattaya personality Elfi Seitz, British Steel’s Stephen Ashford, Saval Thailand’s Managing Director David Davy and Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya’s President-elect Erica Keller.

Copyright 1998 Pattaya Mail Publishing Co.Ltd.
370/7-8 Pattaya Second Road, Pattaya City, Chonburi 20260, Thailand 
Tel.66-38 411 240-1, 413 240-1, Fax:66-38 427 596; e-mail: ptymail@loxinfo.co.th
Created by Andy Gombaz, assisted by Chinnaporn Sangwanlek.