Newlyweds Ditch Traditional Honeymoons, Says Jane Anderson, Editor Of New Website, 101honeymoons.co.uk

Online, May 20, 2010 (Newswire.com) - The traditional honeymoon of two weeks on a foreign beach is on the decline, according to the editor of a new travel website dedicated to the subject. Many British couples getting married this year will instead join one of a growing list of new trends - staying in chic UK beach hotels, stylish all-inclusives or upmarket tented camps.

Jane Anderson, editor of 101honeymoons.co.uk, says the honeymoon market is as buoyant as ever, and a number of factors - including social trends and tightened budgets due to the recession - have dramatically increased the options.

101honeymoons aims to become the first stop on the web for honeymoon ideas. The site features 101 suggestions personally selected by Jane - everything from renting a VW camper van in the UK to Sir Richard Branson's Necker Island in the Caribbean. It uses a unique form of visual search, allowing users to 'hover' over a grid of images. They can filter their options by price, destination or specific requirements such as a private pool, beachfront location or buzzing nightlife.

Couples can also search the site by personality type. If they describe themselves as 'fashionistas' they will be shown destinations such as Santorini or St Barths. If they admit to being 'bone idle' they will be pointed towards the Maldives or Cook Islands.

Jane, who was travel editor of You & Your Wedding magazine for 10 years, identifies a number of new honeymoon trends:

* The rise of the 'minimoon' for cash-rich, time poor couples, including a private jet to France or a stay at the Ice Hotel in Sweden to view the Northern Lights.

* The emergence of a new generation of chic British seaside hotels and cottages, encouraging many honeymooners to stay in the UK. Options include Devon, Cornwall and Northumberland.

* Stylish hotels now offering an all-inclusive option, allowing couples to keep tabs on costs. Examples include Meeru Island in the Maldives, Les Pavillons in Mauritius and Young Island in the Grenadines.

* Increasing numbers of couples rejecting traditional hotels in favour of sleeping under canvas in the Omani desert or luxury tented camps in India.

* The emergence of hip new hotels in traditional destinations, such as the Atlantis Hotel in Barbados and Mount Hartman Bay Estate in Grenada.

* Luxury adventure trips including a safari in Tanzania, a stay at a Japanese hot spring and a journey on the Maharajas' Express train in Rajasthan.

* A rise in 'maximoons' where couples take a month or more out to travel on a round-the-world ticket.

The new site features an interactive quiz where couples can answer multiple choice questions to find their ideal honeymoon, plus detailed advice written by Jane, including how to plan a honeymoon and getting married abroad.

"Today's couples are bombarded with such an array of honeymoon options, it's hard for them to make the right choices, especially with the stress of planning a wedding to consider. Until now there hasn't been a website where they can find inspiration from a trusted source and have all their questions answered."

101honeymoons.co.uk is aimed at both brides and grooms. "Booking the honeymoon is no longer just down to the groom," says Jane. "It's a joint decision, with the bride often having the final say."

Wherever couples choose to go, they can be sure of a warm welcome this year," says Jane: "Honeymooners are highly valued customers to hotels and tour operators, especially in these hard times. They'll get amazing service and extras such as romantic dinners, room upgrades and even free weddings. Hotels are pulling out all the stops so that couples will return for anniversaries.

"Gone are the days when couples would simply jet off for a fortnight of sun on a beach. Today's newlyweds are increasingly travel savvy and want an added wow factor, whether it's a private pool, a top spa or a celebrity-endorsed restaurant," says Jane.

"There are also more considerations these days, such as time restrictions, budget, green issues, past travel experiences and a desire to please both with a multi-centre itinerary. Some want to give something back by incorporating volunteer work into their honeymoon."

Notes

101 Honeymoons is the third web site launched by 101 Holidays, an independent company that launched in January 2009. The original site, www.101holidays.co.uk, is edited by Mark Hodson and David Wickers, both former travel writers with The Sunday Times. Catherine Leech, a former tour operator, is the director.
The site was named by The Times as one of the Hot 10 Travel Sites of 2009, and shortlisted for a number of industry awards.
A second site, www.101shortbreaks.co.uk, was launched in October 2009.
Jane Anderson has joined as editor of 101 Honeymoons. The company plans to launch further niche travel sites with expert travel writers as editors.