Capital courts tourist weddings

Leah Oatway

• Last Updated: May 19. 2008 3:47AM UAE / May 18. 2008 11:47PM GMT

ABU DHABI // The capital could soon join romantic sun-drenched getaways such as Hawaii and Mauritius as a top wedding destination as scores of five-star resorts reach completion in the next five years.

Despite relatively few restrictions preventing non-Muslim tourists from holding civil ceremony weddings in the UAE, complacency about the value of the wedding market among hoteliers, combined with confusion about regulations and complex paperwork, has stunted its development.

But Dayne Lim Kok Chun, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority’s (ADTA) product development director, believes this will change.

“We do not have the honeymoon and wedding market right now, but we have not been actively pursuing it,” he said.

“It is on the horizon, but because we don’t have any data on this market, we see it as an opportunistic zone – meaning an area of tourism that has potential but we don’t have sufficient data to form a development strategy.”

Wedding tourism is a booming business. In Japan last year, the turnover of specialised wedding agencies catering for overseas celebrations was worth an estimated Dh1 billion (US$272 million), the bulk of which was spent on weddings in Hawaii.

But while the US island is still top of the list, surveys suggest couples are broadening their choice in search of new and authentic wedding experiences – something Mr Chun believes could provide opportunities for Abu Dhabi.

“There are three attributes working in the city’s favour, the first being geography,” he said. “We are situated between Europe, Asia and Japan. Accessibility to any wedding destination for international guests is extremely important.

“Hawaii is the number one overseas wedding destination for Japanese tourists because of its accessibility. With Abu Dhabi being so central, it puts the emirate in an advantageous position.

“Second, brand imagery as a destination. When a couple are deciding on a venue for a wedding, the sense of romance and ambience of the destination has to be up market and trendy. People like a sense of the exotic and I think Abu Dhabi is gaining that.

“And third, infrastructure. With the number of upmarket resorts being developed, both on islands and in the desert, there will be plenty of options for luxurious venues.”

Most non-Muslim couples marrying in Abu Dhabi are UAE residents and the ceremonies tend to be traditional religious ones performed by local priests on church grounds. Generally, celebrations follow at one of the beach resorts.

While some hotels have hosted weddings for tourists, they are uncommon and are usually religious blessings, or ceremonies, performed by a kind-hearted priest or vicar who has agreed to officiate away from church grounds.

Reverend Clive Windebank, of St Andrew’s Church in Abu Dhabi, has performed a couple of weddings for non-residents.

“I always ask that one of the party is a resident, but I have made two or three exceptions if the couple has a special connection to church members,” he said.

“The general rule is that each couple I marry must go to a solicitor in Abu Dhabi and swear on an affidavit they have never been married in any jurisdiction, that they are not Muslim, and if they were married before then they must show a decree absolute or the death certificate of their former spouse, depending on the circumstances.”

Despite the limit on the number of foreign embassies being able to marry visiting citizens, even fewer agree to do so because of the paperwork involved and the potential legal complications – for example, the question of rights to citizenship should one person be from another part of the world.

A spokesman for the British Embassy in Dubai said while it was possible for British tourists to have a civil wedding performed by embassy staff, it was done only in “special circumstances”.

The UAE has no objection to non-Muslim tourists marrying here. A spokesman for the Department for Islamic Affairs said if the couple were not residents and not Muslims, it was a matter solely for the relevant embassy.

Yakuri Isemoto-Posth, marketing officer for one of Dubai’s leading hotels, attempted to market the venue to Japanese tourists last year, placing adverts in Japanese newspapers and magazines, but despite many inquiries, the hotel hosted only one wedding.

“It’s sad because there is great potential in this region, but I think it’s going to take some time for people to realise it,” she said.

Ms Isemoto-Posth believed the slow response was a result of general ignorance about the UAE’s geography and political situation: “Unfortunately, in my experience people hear Middle East and think of Afghanistan or sandy, dusty areas that don’t make an ideal setting for wedding pictures.”

But Mr Chun has another explanation for the slow uptake.

“It’s pure economics,” he said. “Demand is far greater than supply in Abu Dhabi. When your hotel is doing well, you don’t have as much impetus to look at niche market segments, like wedding tourism.

“Hotel rooms here get filled regardless of marketing due to the amount of business travellers to Abu Dhabi and because the city is a desirable winter getaway destination.

“But as more resorts are completed, the need to fill different properties will become more pronounced. That’s when we’ll start to see tour operators and resorts go after niche markets like weddings.”

By 2010, 4,000 additional hotel rooms will have been built in the capital since 2007, with another 13,000 rooms due to become available between 2010 and 2015. On Saadiyat Island alone there are plans for 29 five-star hotels.

Another key date is the planned completion of the Midfield Terminal Complex at Abu Dhabi’s International Airport by 2010, which will increase the airport’s annual capacity from 20 million to 50 million passengers.

While the ADTA does not have the authority to change rules regarding paperwork, Mr Chun agreed that a strategy to target wedding tourists could include lobbying embassies to reduce the red tape or encouraging hotels to take on some of the paperwork burden.

“Typically, overseas weddings could host between 100 and 500 guests who would spend money on flights, accommodation and sightseeing activities,” he said.

“They usually spend at least three days at the destination to be part of festivities, so that represents a large economic return. It also raises the brand profile because choosing Abu Dhabi for one of the most important and memorable decisions of your life represents a confidence in the destination.”

Janet Abrahams, the director of sales and marketing at Emirates Palace hotel, agreed.

“There’s a big demand for wedding destinations worldwide,” she said.

“When people go to the Caribbean it’s because they want sun and beautiful wedding pictures. Here, we are able to offer an opportunity to marry in the sun, at a palace, and experience a culturally rich Arabian experience impossible to duplicate elsewhere in the world.”

loatway@thenational.ae