If you had travel plans over the last few years, it’s likely they were scuppered in some way or another due to ever-changing Covid restrictions.
For most of us who were thwarted by quarantines and cancellations, it was a case of swallowing the refrain ‘there’s always next time’ – but for pandemic newlyweds, it was the time.
As weddings were scaled down or rearranged, couples were also forced to lower their expectations for a honeymoon, since many countries either weren’t letting tourists in or required a set period of isolation that’d make travelling near impossible.
Those who were unable to cancel pre-booked breaks then had to lose deposits or bite the bullet and go anyway.
And with socialising, exploring without vaccine passports, and even dancing and singing forbidden, it’s understandable that some felt short changed by what were supposed to be romantic carefree, getaways.
In September 2020, nearly 80% of newly married couples said they were postponing their honeymoons, and Google searches for ‘honeymoon cancelled’ have jumped 180% since then.
With that, personal travel management company Winged Boots is predicting that 2022 will be the year of the ‘renewed honeymoon’.
A spokesperson said: ‘This latest travel trend is all about renewing or upgrading your first honeymoon to experience MORE, whether that’s more adventure, more relaxation, or just simply enjoying the honeymoon you had always dreamed of.’
ABTA identified ‘catch up consumers’ as a trend earlier in the year, finding that travellers are ‘upgrading elements of their next holiday or opting for a bucket list destination’.
Since many already see a honeymoon as a bucket list trip, it’s thought that this will filter into the wedding space too. So far, honeymoon planners are seeing a rise in bookings for bougie beach destinations like the Caribbean, as well as a renewed thirst for remote locations and adventure breaks.
Winged Boots is running a competition offering one pair a honeymoon renewal of their own at Raffles Maldives Meradhoo worth £15,000, asking couples to send in stories of how their first attempt was ruined to be in with a chance.
Rachel Spensley and her fiancé were one of these couples, opting for a ‘minimoon’ in Cornwall after their mid-pandemic big day. Although they had a lovely time, they’re now planning on a luxury break to compensate for what was missed.
Rachel said: ‘Borders around the world were still closed and travel was still very restricted so we decided to put off our honeymoon until we could travel more freely.
‘For a while, we held our breath thinking any day now more travel corridors would open – they didn’t. In the end, we enjoyed a very happy and sunny minimoon in beautiful Cornwall.
‘Today our honeymoon fund is still sitting untouched, life has continued, our family is growing with the expected arrival of twin babies this summer.
‘However, one thing is for sure, we are determined to still enjoy a dreamy holiday and celebrate becoming Mr and Mrs in style – it might just look a little different to our original plans with double trouble in tow.’
David Ox, Managing Director of Winged Boots, added: ‘We look forward to seeing how the renew your honeymoon trend grows and develops after seeing married couples find their own unique ways to celebrate their honeymoon over the past couple of years.
‘We hope that this trend also encourages couples who may be coming up to momentous anniversaries to renew their first honeymoon experience, to celebrate their relationship now that we can travel more freely.’
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