Danang celebrates super-rich Indian wedding on Lunar New Year

The wedding of super-rich couple Tuisha Seksaria and Gaurav Palrecha took place in Danang on Tuesday, the third day of Lunar New Year, with more than 350 guests and a team of 100 staff and chefs from India.

After much research, the Indian family opted for Danang to host their big event from January 25 to 29, with more than two tons of materials, costumes and props transported from India for the ceremony.

The city wants to welcome Indian weddings as part of a plan to promote the destination in the Indian market, according to the Da Nang Department of Tourism.

When tourism reopened after the Covid-19 pandemic, direct flights from Danang to major cities in India like New Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad resulted in positive growth from the Indian tourist sector.

In 2022, India was among the top 10 international markets in Danang, ranking fifth after South Korea, Thailand, the U.S. and Malaysia, with the total number of guests estimated at 39,359, accounting for 4.66% of international visitors.

In pre-pandemic 2019, the city welcomed 16,558 Indian visitors, accounting for about 0.9% of international travelers, meaning post-pandemic growth has risen nearly 2.5 times.

The focus of the Indian market in the near future will be lavish weddings held for several days at a cost of up to billions of Vietnamese dong (VND1 billion = $42,650), tourism authorities said.

Satish Ramnani, director of Veydaa Events, an Indian wedding events company that pioneered bringing Indian weddings to Danang, said that in 2023, the company is planning two more such events.

"Danang boasts luxurious accommodation facilities and has a lot of potential to become an attractive wedding destination for Indian guests. However, Danang still needs to issue support policies and incentives for the segment so that the bride and groom and their families feel welcome and secure during their wedding, which involves many rituals and complexities in terms of supplies," Ramnani added.

At the end of November 2019, an Indian billionaire family held a wedding at the Sheraton Grand Danang resort in the central city.

The wedding was attended by more than 650 Indian aristocracy with 180 staff, including event organizers, chefs and 45 artists from India, not to mention the large number of hotel staff working throughout the days-long wedding party.

The event involved more than 10 large and small ceremonies taking place from November 20 to the end of November 23.

In March 2019, the wedding of billionaire couple Rushang Shah and his bride Kaabia Grewal held on Phu Quoc Island in southern Vietnam received special public attention. Besides attracting public attention, it was also one of the most anticipated weddings in India that year.

To organize a wedding in Vietnam, the Indian billionaire rented two Vietjet planes to fly directly from India to Phu Quoc. The wedding was attended by nearly 700 Indian guests, along with 225 waiters, including 30 planners, 45 chefs, five kitchen assistants, and artists from more than 10 countries. Food for the wedding party was also transported by plane from India.

On Tuesday, the Danang Department of Tourism and Danang Port JSC welcomed the first international cruise ship to Tien Sa Port in Lunar New Year 2023. The "Silver Spirit" from Italy carried more than 500 international tourists to Danang.

The tourists spent a day in the city to visit unique destinations like Marble Mountain, Linh Ung Pagoda, and the Danang Museum of Cham Sculptures.

The last time Silver Spirit docked at Tien Sa Port was on February 18, 2020, with nearly 200 tourists from Europe who visited scenic spots in Danang and the nearby ancient town of Hoi An, a UNESCO heritage site.