SynopsisIndian hotels are experiencing a significant rise in wedding bookings this year. This growth is driven by a preference for domestic celebrations and concerns about international travel. Major hotel chains are reporting double-digit increases, with popular destinations like Goa, Jaipur, and Udaipur seeing strong demand. Hotels are actively enhancing their wedding offerings to cater to this trend.AgenciesRepresentative ImageNew Delhi: Indian hoteliers are reporting a double-digit uptick in wedding bookings this year compared to last year offsetting some losses triggered by the uncertainty around travel timelines, flight fares and schedules due to the US- Iran war for months. In a recent address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also advised Indians to avoid overseas destination weddings amid the ongoing conflict. Hotels are also ramping up their focus on the wedding segment through greater outreach this year.ITC Hotels MD Anil Chadha said the chain is seeing a 'strong demand' for weddings, reflecting a 'clear' uptick compared to last year.He said demand is particularly pronounced for the chain's key luxury wedding hotels across locations such as Goa, Agra, Jaipur, and Udaipur. "The shift towards domestic celebrations, coupled with constraints on international travel is continuing to support this growth," said Chadha, adding that the chain is also 'actively' engaging with leading wedding planners and families to curate differentiated venues and experiences across its brands.Also Read | Wed-in-India: Why are Indian couples going swadeshi?Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) is seeing a 25% uptick in wedding bookings for its Goa properties this year compared to the same time last year, said Ranjit Phillipose, senior VP, operations, Goa. "Markets in the Middle East were seeing a lot of Indian destination weddings, but there have been safety concerns around travelling overseas. People are now even getting married during the monsoon season in Goa, which wasn't the case earlier," he added.Wedding enquiries across Radisson Hotel Group's portfolio have grown in double digits year-on-year with destination weddings across leisure and resort destinations continuing to account for most of demand," said Nikhil Sharma, MD and COO (South Asia) at Radisson Hotel Group. The chain's properties in Goa, Nashik, Chandigarh, Indore and Guwahati are performing 'particularly well', he said.Also Read | Not many big fat Indian weddings this season, thanks to TrumpAt Marriott International's first Autograph Collection Hotel in India, the wedding business is tracking over 25% ahead of last year, said Mahesh Singh Jasrotia, general manager, Noor Mahal Delhi NCR Karnal, Autograph Collection. Jasrotia said over the past few months, weddings initially planned overseas have moved back to India with confirmations coming for dates as early as August. Leisure Hotels Group has seen a 20% jump in wedding enquiries compared to last year with a corresponding rise in conversions as well, said Shahzad Aslam, director of sales at the chain.Hotels have also looked to launch new initiatives around weddings. Fairmont Jaipur launched The Green Kitchen, a vegetarian culinary concept that incorporates regional vegetarian recipes and forgotten heirloom dishes focusing on Jain and Marwari weddings. "We are seeing a strong demand from families seeking authentic royal experiences and personalised service," said Rajat Sethi, cluster general manager for Fairmont Jaipur and Raffles Jaipur.Sarovar Hotels has looked to dedicated wedding studios at select hotels and is seeing a growing interest in emerging locations such as Chitwan, Pilibhit, Sindhudurg, and Mathura. In the first five months of 2026, weddings and wedding related events contributed nearly 16% to the chain's overall food and beverage revenue, said Jatin Khanna, CEO of Sarovar Hotels.Manish Yadav, director of sales and marketing at Raffles Udaipur, said while it would be difficult to directly link booking trends to any single development, there's a clear preference for 'iconic' Indian destinations that offer 'exceptional hospitality' and 'bespoke' experiences.Read More News on...moreless