Couples are changing how they holiday — even on honeymoon

How we honeymoon is changing, according to Turquoise Holidays. ‘When we first started Turquoise, a sexy honeymoon in the Pacific or South Africa was so much more affordable,’ explains co-founder Sue Bell.

As well as increasing hotel costs, travellers are also having to contend with limited airline capacity: British Airways has about six fewer planes in operation than five years ago and replacement planes are not expected to arrive until 2027.

Today’s honeymooners don’t want to scrimp on style or experience — after all, this is meant to be the holiday of a lifetime — so they’re learning how to make their money best work for them. The changes are twofold. Firstly, couples are delaying honeymoons in order to travel in the more affordable shoulder seasons. Secondly, they are booking entry-level rooms for the majority of their stay and then moving into a premium room for the last few nights — a trick that Sue says works especially well in destinations such as the Maldives.

‘The budget is a dictator, but it’s not the be all or end all,’ explains Sue. ‘A good tour operator has the insider scoop on what is and isn’t available and can help find the best deals, including on plane seats.’ She suggests pairing traditional and romantic Ol Seki Hemingways Mara Camp in Kenya with cool and contemporary Zuri Zanzibar. In early June, this 12-night safari-beach trip costs from £7,295 per person; in early July, that increases to £9,295, ‘yet the wildlife experience and the weather are very similar, if not the same’.