The upcoming wedding season in India – a report from India

According to a survey conducted by the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), the wedding season is fast approaching in India. About 4.8 million weddings are expected this year. This could mean revenues of $70.4 billion.

Last year, 3.5 million weddings nationwide generated $50.7 billion.

Destination weddings will have a significant share. “Thanks to social media, it is possible to personalize as many elements of weddings as possible. Experiences still matter and there is an interest in exploring new places, even if weddings in these places cannot take place due to lack of appropriate or appropriate venues,” said Parthip Thyagarajan, CEO of wedding planning website WeddingSutra.com.

According to a survey by CAIT, around 1 million weddings are expected to cost INR 1.5 million ($18,000) each, and 700,000 weddings are likely to cost INR 2.5 million ($29,800).

But many of them will be more expensive: 50,000 weddings are estimated to cost INR 5 million ($59,600) each, and a similar number will likely cost INR 10 million ($120,000) or more.

Hotels witnessing a destination wedding Demand: In the period preceding the wedding season, there is an increase in demand for luxury hotels. About 1 in 4 weddings at Ramee Group of Hotels properties are destination weddings, said Saurabh Gahoi, senior vice president of Ramee Group of Hotels.

“We are seeing a significant increase in destination weddings, especially in our properties such as Udaipur, Bengaluru, Tirupati and Bhuj. Couples choose intimate yet luxurious experiences at boutique resorts. Particularly among young couples, pre-wedding events with experiences such as sunset receptions, poolside ceremonies and themed decorations are also on the rise,” Gahoi added.

Destination wedding events last 3-4 days, and many couples choose to combine events to create a mini-vacation.

An earlier Skift article on Indian weddings reported that places like Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and even popular destinations in Europe are eyeing Indian high net worth individuals because they know that Indian weddings are more than just a few days of festivities; they concern longer stays, shopping sprees and exploration.

Air India Express finalizes merger with AIX Connect

Tata Group’s low-cost airlines Air India Express and AIX Connect have been merged to form a larger low-cost company. The merged entity will operate under the Air India Express brand.

Air India Express has a fleet of 88 aircraft and plans to expand with almost four new aircraft to be added every month. It is expected to have more than 100 planes by the end of the current fiscal year on March 31.

In a statement, Air India Group said, “The number of routes operated by AIX has increased from 74 to 171 and passenger travel has increased by over 400% since the acquisition of Air India by the Tata Group in early 2022.”

“The combined entity will meet the growing demand for air travel within India and the region, especially among the country’s ambitious youth looking for fresher and more attractive products. After this merger, Vistara will merge with Air India on November 12. We look forward to working under the guidance of DGCA to complete this transaction seamlessly,” said Campbell Wilson, CEO, Air India and President, Air India Express.

US opens 250,000 visa appointments for Indian travelers

The US mission in India has made 250,000 additional visas available for travelers from India. These meetings are intended for tourists, students and qualified workers.

“The recently released new dates will help hundreds of thousands of Indian candidates get their interviews on time,” the U.S. Embassy in Delhi said on Monday. She added that for the second year in a row, the US mission in India received one million nonimmigrant visa applications.

Until September 30 this year. Over 1.2 million Indians emigrated to the United States. This means an increase of 35% compared to last year. Moreover, at least 6 million Indians already hold non-immigrant visas. Data released by the US National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) earlier this year showed that between January and May 2024, India became the second-largest international source market – excluding Canada and Mexico – for tourism in USA

Air India-Vistara Loyalty Program: Top Questions

Air India’s merger with Vistara is complete. Starting November 12, the fleets, routes and loyalty programs of the two full-service airlines will be merged to form a merged Air India.

Most importantly for frequent flyers, Club Vistara will merge with Air India’s Flying Returns loyalty program on November 12, bringing changes for millions of loyal customers. Members will not be able to redeem Club Vistara points or vouchers for flights after November 11.

Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia summarized the top questions surrounding the loyalty program merger, including what will happen to Club Vistara points, details about existing Vistara reservations, the process of merging the two loyalty programs and changes to Vistara co-branded credit cards.

Thomas Cook India’s efforts to create generative AI solutions

Travel services company Thomas Cook India has formed a joint venture, Atirath Technologies, to build a scalable and tailored generative AI solution for the travel industry. The decision was made in response to travelers’ demand for more personalized and personalized travel experiences.

Thomas Cook believes that through this partnership it will be able to expand its reach, reduce its dependence on people to scale its operations and create a new distribution model. The resulting Gen AI solution is expected to support voice, local language transcription and speech capabilities, the company said in a statement.

Cordelia plans… for the future

Cordelia Cruises is considering expansion to destinations such as Southeast Asia, Australia and the Middle East, the company reported. The luxury cruise company is also considering the possibility of organizing a 10-day cruise from Chennai to Singapore in the coming year.

The cruise line completed three years in India last month. It operates cruises from the west and east coasts of the Indian Peninsula and sails to several domestic and international destinations: Mumbai, Kochi, Goa, Lakshadweep and Chennai in India, and Jaffna, Trincomalee and Hambantota in the nearby island nation of Sri Lanka.

The cruise line is also currently planning to increase frequency on key routes as well as expand domestic routes by including Visakhapatnam and Puducherry among its destinations.

Eco Hotels is launching a property in Nagpur, Maharashtra

Eco Hotels and Resorts has launched a new property – the 44-key EcoExpress in Nagpur, Maharashtra. Maharashtra is a key part of the company’s growth strategy.

Eco Hotels is a new player in the hotel industry that aims to make all hotels under its brand carbon neutral. Chief Financial Officer Vikram Doshi said the company aims to turn a profit by the end of March 2026.

Last December, online travel agency EaseMyTrip acquired a 13% non-controlling stake in Eco Hotels and Resorts.

(The Skift India report will not be published on Thursday, October 3 as October 2 is a holiday.)