NMI weddings most affordable

The Northern Marianas remains to be one of the cheapest overseas wedding destinations compared with other countries around the world.

Based on the Average Expenditure per Couple by Destination report, newly-weds spend $2,226 in Hawaii; $1,323 in Guam and Saipan; $3,338 in North America; $4,797 in Europe; $3,383 in Oceania; $2,391 in Asia; and $1,850 in China.

Because of this, the CNMI tourism industry stands to benefit on the growing popularity of the Northern Marianas as an overseas wedding destination as reports noted that each honeymooner spends only an average of $1,300 per visit.

The Japan Travel Bureau disclosed that recorded expenditure per couple on overseas weddings and honeymoons ranged from $1,300 to $4,700 depending on the destination and travel arrangements.

The JTB report stated that a Japanese couple usually spends so much during their stay that an average expenditure only includes tour price and not local expenses for shopping and dining out.

“The average expenditure per couple is $3,669, or 110.4 percent of the previous year’s figure, reversing the downward trend for the first time in 11 years since the decline began in 1992,” the report said.

Further, the increase on expenditure and travel costs, the JTB report noted, was attributed to the increase on type of hotels, increasing share of the market held by the destination, and the influence of lower exchange rates for the yen versus the dollar.

“Firstly, an increase in those who select higher grade hotels in the desire to have a honeymoon that more truly reflects their personal taste contributed to the increase of an average expenditure per couple,” said the JTB report.

In addition, a newly-wed couple usually stays an average of seven days in a single destination.

The JTB report said that, after a lull on the tourism industry brought on by the September 11 terror attacks, the CNMI is now considered one of the most preferred wedding destinations around the world.

This, even as JTB disclosed that reservations for honeymoon trips to the islands dropped by 4.6 percent from 95.8 in the 2001 Spring Honeymoon Season to this year’s 93.4 percent.

This may be attributed to the decline in overseas wedding ceremonies during the same season, which dropped from 560 last year to 472 this year.

Hawaii topped the list of wedding destinations this year, cornering 49.8 percent of the market; Guam and the CNMI placed second with a market share of 21.4 percent; and Oceania on third with 17.8 percent share of the market. Asian countries grabbed 1.3 percent of the total market share.

In 2001, the top three destinations were Hawaii, mainland U.S., and Europe. But the influence of the terrorist attacks on the United States has pulled the CNMI and Guam to second place this year.