'Middle East may emerge as stronger wedding destination; Thailand to stay popular'

Indian weddings in international locations were gaining steam each season until 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic forced a pause, and with travel restrictions in place, families looked towards new destinations. They picked Mussoorie over Florence, Dehradun over Doha, and Mahabalipuram over Phuket. This period also saw newer destinations emerge within India, as couples wanted to offer something “new” to their guests. However, as travel restrictions were lifted, international destinations were back in the reckoning (even as domestic destinations continued to flourish).

Parthip Thyagarajan, co-founder and CEO of WeddingSutra.com, points out that the push to domestic destination weddings came in February 2024 with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to “Wed In India”. “This has only been strengthened by recent political developments,” Thyagarajan says, adding, “While most families would like to host the wedding in India, the reality is that the infrastructure isn’t supportive. As it stands, 90% of destination weddings happen in India only—it’s just that foreign destination weddings grab most of the eyeballs. There is a growing demand for destination weddings, and the guest lists are increasingly long (yet, still not as high as pre-COVID times). But where are the hotels that can meet this demand, especially during the auspicious dates in the winter months? This is one of the reasons families choose to celebrate abroad.”

While COVID may be back in the news, wedding planners are not worried.

Ekta Saigal Lulla of Weddings by ESL says that there doesn’t seem to be much conversation around COVID right now. “The regions affected are Hong Kong, Macao, and Singapore. These are not strong wedding destination spots for India. There is not much news on Covid cases in Thailand, and families are exploring venues and celebrations there.”

Damini Oberoi of Q Events and Weddings agrees. “My clients are not very worried. They are sure that things will be okay in Q4 this year or by Q1 next year.”

The emergence of newer destinations in the Middle East also means there’s more to choose from. Lulla adds, “The UAE and GCC are the new evergreen destinations, and many factors contribute to this, including proximity (it’s a 3.5-hour flight from India) and visa handling. A Schengen visa can cost between Rs 15,000 and Rs 20,000 but the GCC countries are extremely visa-friendly. Bahrain is even ready to absorb visa charges. Both Bahrain and Qatar work very hard to accommodate our special requests. Thanks to their extra efforts there were 15 weddings in Qatar last year.”

Oberoi adds, “While there was a pause during the war situation, planning is back on track now, for hometown and destination weddings in India and overseas. Clients who were looking at Turkey earlier are now considering Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, and Oman, which will be the biggest gainers in Q1 next year.”

This perception will continue till Q4 2026, says Keyur Patel, Director, Prasang Events. The Middle East and Southeast Asia will also emerge as a top choice with Turkey and Azerbaijan losing favor with Indian families. “However, two factors are shaping these choices. One is the availability of quality wedding inventory (venues, accommodations), and the second is direct flight connectivity from Indian metros. Regions that meet both criteria will see higher traction and are likely to benefit the most in the coming quarters,” Patel adds.

Bridal stylist Esha Amin says that her UHNI and HNI clients are continuing to look at international destinations for pre-wedding celebrations and Rajasthan, Kerala, or Goa for the main wedding functions. There was only one client who was considering Amritsar. “They are reconsidering it due to the recent developments. Therefore, there is a pause on the styling too because everything depends on the location.”

Sushill Waddhwa, Founder & CMD, Platinum World Grroup, adds it’s not just weddings. Even corporates are rethinking their event plans in the backdrop of India-Pakistan tensions. “Destinations that were once popular for Indian MICE groups are facing considerable cancellations now. The cumulative effect is a substantial recalibration of the outbound travel market, demanding agile responses and diversified offerings from tour operators and travel planners.”

But can India handle such a large volume of weddings, especially during peak season?

“That’s where the challenge lies,” says Patel, echoing Thyagarajan. “We’re already seeing heavy bookings and sold-out calendars at established destinations like Udaipur, Jaipur, Kochi, Dehradun, Mussoorie, and Bengaluru till Q1 2026. With international uncertainties, India will need to lean on Tier-2 and emerging locations such as Leela Gandhinagar, Mayfair Raipur and Siliguri, upcoming resorts in Kumbhalgarh, properties near Chandigarh and Shimla and luxury resorts in Karjat, Nasik and Lonavala.”

“If India becomes the only practical choice for high-end weddings in 2026, our current infrastructure might fall short," he says.
Thyagarajan adds, “There is movement on this front. More international chains such as Mariott, Hilton, and Hyatt are bringing in their luxury properties. So we should see more Ritz Carlton, Waldorf Astoria, Fairmont, Grand Hyatt hotels by 2030. Even Minor Hotels, a Thailand chain, is bullish in India, and they have already opened the Anantara in Jaipur. One also looks forward to more Taj and Leela properties in other locations. In the last couple of years, Kochi and Dehradun are positioned as a luxury wedding destination thanks to the Grand Hyatt properties there. In Mumbai, the upcoming international airport in Panvel will change a lot of things. It remains to be seen which chains will give a further impetus to newer locations in India.”