Many couples' 2020 wedding dreams have been dashed, including those who were envisioning destination weddings in picturesque settings—and places like Aruba that rely heavily on tourism are also feeling the sting of the pandemic, so the Aruba Tourism Authority announced the Happily Ever After Guarantee as a postponable booking policy. The flexible policy was created for couples who are interested in a 2021 wedding or honeymoon, but are unsure about what the future of travel will look like in response to COVID-19. With the destination booking policy, couples can feel secure about booking for 2021, as their events can be postponed for up to a year from the original event date.
As part of the policy, participating hotels and resorts include the Manchebo Beach Resort & Spa, the Divi & Tamarijn Aruba All Inclusives and more.
Image Credit: Aruba Tourism Authority
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Postponable Booking Policies
- Aruba's Happily Ever After Guarantee suggests opportunities for hotels and resorts to customize their own postponable booking policies to attract and retain customers.
- Destination Weddings
- The pandemic has led to the rise of micro-weddings and virtual wedding ceremonies, providing opportunities for wedding planners and photographers to develop new services to cater to this market.
- Flexible Travel Policies
- Aruba's initiative is indicative of a growing trend in the travel industry, where flexible travel policies benefit both service providers and travelers and thus are anticipated to continue beyond the pandemic.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Hospitality
- There is scope for the hospitality industry to develop and implement versatile booking policies and offer wedding packages to address the needs of consumers in the wake of the pandemic.
- Event Management
- The pandemic has brought an unprecedented disruption to the event industry, providing opportunities for event planners and professionals to introduce creative solutions such as virtual weddings, and re-structure existing policies, including cancellation and refund policies.
- Travel and Tourism
- With the ongoing pandemic, travel and tourism services providers must address consumer needs and build trust for customer retention; thus, flexible travel policies and new destination marketing strategies are essential.
