A Policybazaar Data Report on Wedding Tourism & Travel Insurance Trends (2023–2025 YTD)
From beachfront vows in Thailand to vineyard ceremonies in Italy, Indian weddings are increasingly becoming global affairs. This has had a visible impact on international travel choices and travel insurance uptake.
Policybazaar’s travel insurance data points to sustained growth in wedding-linked international travel, seasonal uptake around peak wedding months, growing participation from families and senior travellers, and a rising preference for baggage and medical-related covers.
Destination Weddings fuel steady growth in Travel Insurance uptake
Travel insurance purchases linked to destination weddings have shown consistent growth over the last three years, underlining how international weddings are becoming a mainstream choice for Indian couples and families.
Uptake in travel insurance demand has seen 27.4% growth from 2023 to 2024, followed by another 27.4% growth from 2024 to 2025 YTD. This sustained momentum reflects not just higher international travel volumes, but also growing awareness of the financial and logistical risks involved in multi-day, high-cost wedding travel.
Top destinations: Where are Indians getting married abroad?
Indian couples are choosing a diverse mix of destinations that balance aspiration, accessibility, and cost.
Thailand emerges as the most preferred destination, driven by proximity, visa ease, and strong Indian wedding infrastructure. The UAE is favoured for luxury venues and seamless international connectivity, while Vietnam and Sri Lanka are emerging as cost-efficient yet scenic alternatives. Premium destinations like Italy, Spain, and Greece attract smaller, high-spend wedding groups, and Oman and the Maldives are popular for intimate, close-family weddings. Together, these choices reflect how destination weddings now span everything from large celebrations to curated, intimate affairs.
When wedding bells ring, insurance searches spike
Wedding-linked travel insurance purchases closely mirror India’s wedding calendar, with clear spikes during peak marriage months rather than generic holiday seasons.
From 15th January to 31st March, there was an 8% increase from 2023 to 2024, followed by a 16% increase from 2024 to 2025. During the 1st July to 31st August period, growth stood at 11% from 2023 to 2024 and 10% from 2024 to 2025. The most significant spike occurred from 1st November to 15th December, with a 30% increase from 2023 to 2024, followed by an 8% increase from 2024 to 2025. The sharpest spike during the winter wedding window reinforces how closely insurance planning is now tied to wedding dates rather than leisure travel cycles.
Wedding travel insurance sees strong multi-generational participation
Wedding-related travel insurance buyers span multiple age groups, reflecting the inclusive, family-led nature of Indian weddings.
The age-wise split shows that those aged 25 to 34 years, typically the bride and groom, account for 40% of buyers. Parents aged 45 to 60 years represent 35%, while senior travellers aged 60 and above make up 25%. This broad age mix explains the heightened focus on medical and pre-existing disease coverage, particularly as families travel together for longer international stays.
In terms of who purchases the policy, couples themselves account for 60% of purchases, family members for 30%, and NRI relatives for 10%. The growing role of extended family and overseas relatives highlights how wedding travel planning is increasingly collaborative.
Urban India leads the way, NCR emerges strongly
Demand for wedding travel insurance remains concentrated in urban centres, though participation is steadily widening.
Mumbai leads with 16% of contributions, followed by Bengaluru at 13%, Delhi at 8%, Hyderabad at 5%, and Chennai at 4%. Emerging clusters include Pune, Gurugram, and New Delhi, each contributing around 3%, with rising traction from Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Jaipur, Ludhiana, and Jalandhar. This spread indicates destination weddings are no longer limited to a few metros, with Tier-2 cities increasingly embracing international celebrations.
Bigger guest lists are back: Group & family travel rebounds strongly
After a brief post-pandemic pause, group wedding travel is clearly making a comeback, pointing to renewed confidence in international celebrations.
There was approximately a 2% dip in group travel bookings from 2023 to 2024, but this was followed by a remarkable surge of around 28% in group bookings from 2024 to 2025 YTD. The return of larger, multi-generational guest lists is driving greater demand for comprehensive travel insurance that can cover multiple travellers and complex itineraries.
One constant across geographies: High sum insured
Despite varying destinations and travel styles, wedding travellers show a consistent approach to coverage.
A sum insured of USD 250,000 is consistently chosen across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, though premiums are higher for European destinations due to longer stays and higher medical costs. This suggests that wedding travellers prioritise robust protection irrespective of destination complexity or cost.
What do wedding travellers want covered the most?
Coverage preferences reflect the high emotional and financial stakes involved in wedding travel.
Baggage loss, particularly for high-value outfits and jewellery, tops the list at 28%, followed by medical emergency cover at 25%, pre-existing disease (PED) cover at 22%, trip cancellation at 15%, and flight delay or missed connection at 10%.
Meet Kapadia, Head of Travel Insurance at Policybazaar says, “Destination weddings have become a popular choice for Indian families, and our data clearly shows how travel insurance planning is evolving alongside this shift. What stands out is the sharp rise in insurance adoption around wedding seasons, driven by multi-generational travel, longer international stays, and the high financial and emotional stakes involved. Today’s wedding travellers are prioritising comprehensive medical cover, protection for high-value baggage, and high sum insured – treating travel insurance as an essential part of wedding planning rather than an afterthought.”
