Celebrity weddings drive growth in island tourism

As celebrity newly-weds Ruby Lin and Wallace Huo announce Bali as their wedding location, the Indonesian costal island city is experiencing a surge in interest from Chinese tourists.

Chen Fang, Utour product manager, said there was a significant jump recently in inquires about traveling to the island. "The celebrity weddings are key influencing factors to the growth, combined with the island's fully fledged facilities and assorted travel options," Chen said.

Before the latest celebrity couple, the island also hosted wedding parties for celebrities Yang Mi and Hawick Lau, and Liu Shishi and Nicholas Wu, which have been good promotion for the island.

As Bali is sought-after, other islands with a reputation for weddings and honeymoons, such as Phuket in Thailand and the Maldives, have also seen an increase in interest.

As more Chinese visitors opt for independent travel over group tours, the in-depth travel products that highlight indigenous experiences and tempting indulgence, such as extracted oil spas and water activities, are more popular than traditional sightseeing, Chen said.