The local honeymoon tour market resembles a delicious cake, waiting to be sliced by travel agencies from both home and abroad during the Autumn Wedding Fashion Expo which opened last Friday, the Oriental Morning Post reported.

A honeymoon theme hall makes its debut this year, a first in the 13 years of the Expo. The huge number of potential customers in the city has attracted six travel agencies and one world-renowned holiday resort company, Club Med, which has built more than 120 holiday resorts in over 30 countries around the world.

"Newly-weds are our company's main targets," explained Kathy from Club Med, "and the honeymoon tour market in Shanghai is becoming more and more mature. "

Different to other travel agencies, Club Med has always followed a system whereby tour charges include all accommodation, meals, sports, activities and entertainment.

A luxurious honeymoon tour to Japan, spanning Tokyo, Osaka and Ishigaki Island, is the focus of their promotion at the Expo. 

"Though the lowest price for this tour, at 9,999 yuan (US$1,210) per person, is high in terms of seasonal prices," expressed Kathy, "we have confidence in the spending-power of local young people."

According to a recent research among 20 large travel agencies, over 20 percent of their travelers are newly-weds.  And the lowest expenditure per capita of these is 15,000 to 20,000 yuan.

(Shanghai Daily August 31, 2005)