Majority of Couples Going Big with 'Mega-moon' Travel: Survey

New findings from Expedia revealed that honeymoons are "the next big thing" in terms of post-pandemic trends. A recent study of 1,701 U.S. respondents from 01-12APR 2022 found that 97 per cent of honeymoon plans were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and as 4.7 million weddings are expected to take place in 2022-2023 (according to The Wedding Report), couples are preparing to go "bigger and better" on honeymoons.

Another poll from Expedia, which surveyed 1,500 couples, found the following wedding trends:

Trips, not toasters: 65 per cent are more likely to add a honeymoon fund to their wedding registry, prompted by the pandemic to prioritize their trip over traditional registry items.
Mega-moons: More than half (53 per cent) plan to spend more on their honeymoons than they originally budgeted and 59 per cent are more interested now in going to a bucket list destination.
Duo-moons: 83 per cent of those in a relationship are planning a "duo-moon" or multiple honeymoons, such as a quick trip immediately following the wedding and an extended trip later.
Redo-moons: 54 per cent of married couples are not completely satisfied with the honeymoon they took during the pandemic and want a "do-over."

"Coming out of the pandemic, couples are clearly determined to have an epic honeymoon," says Christie Hudson, head of U.S. public relations for Expedia. "For many couples that will include flights, luxurious accommodations and even romantic in-destination activities."

Honeymoon checklists include romance and relaxation

After the stress of postponed plans, many couples are looking forward to enjoying some R&R during their honeymoons. According to the survey, the most popular itinerary includes an all-inclusive resort (45 per cent), romantic activities such as hot air balloon rides or sunset boat cruises (54 per cent) and pampering (52 per cent).

However, couples are split on the type of destination they desire, with beach and tropical destinations (19 per cent) scarcely more popular than a multi-destination trip (18 per cent), city escape (16 per cent) or national park visit (15 per cent).