Couples tightening belts on honeymoons but still choosing to go overseas

Australians are choosing more cost-effective countries for their honeymoon with overseas travel back on the agenda after the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living digging into budgets.

Data from ING shows one third of Aussies said if they were to honeymoon over the next 12 months, they would do so overseas.

More than 20 per cent said a honeymoon overseas could be cheaper than in Australia.

And thirty per cent would prefer to spend more on their honeymoon than their wedding.

The research, which surveyed 1,053 Aussies, found one in ten would consider a "friendsmoon" where they invite their friends on their honeymoon and a quarter would consider having a destination wedding to double as a honeymoon.

Abi and Matt (surnames withheld) said financial stress weighed on them while planning their nuptials.

The Sydney couple, both in their 20s, are planning to honeymoon in Bali, Indonesia so they could go overseas but cut costs.

"We both enjoy travel a lot. While we're looking to stretch our budget for our honeymoon as much as we can, cost of living has meant that we can't truly splurge on this trip, but we did stretch on things like the accommodation where we could make it more memorable," the couple said.

Abi and Matt are having a large wedding which will cost them up to $60,000 but they have budgeted a comparatively low $8,000 for their honeymoon.

To make their honeymoon more affordable, they looked at luxury escapes but leveraged their frequent flyer points to get a better deal.

"We spent extra money to get a nicer hotel in Bali. The overall savings offered by the location also allowed us to stretch the budget and find more activities to do, like going on a boat for the day and exploring the area," they said.

The ING report shows Aussies, on average, would be willing to splash just over $10,000 on their romantic getaway. Half of respondents said the favourable exchange rates in Bali and Thailand, where you could get dinner and drinks for two for less than $30, was appealing.

ING Australia head of consumer and market insights Matt Bowen said even when budgets are tight, travel is prioritised.

"The lower cost of living in destinations like Bali and Thailand allows newlyweds to indulge in more luxurious experiences they might not be able to afford back home," he said.

"This includes private villas, boat trips, and elaborate meals, usually for a fraction of the price they'd pay for the same activity in Australia. It's no surprise that one in five Aussies (17 per cent) said they could get a better deal honeymooning abroad as opposed to in Australia."

Tripadvisor's Travellers' Choice Awards Best of the Best Destinations 2024 found Bali was the top honeymoon destination followed by Hoi An in Vietnam and Maldives.