Foreigners’ luxury weddings to boost Turkish economy by $3 bln

Özge Esen – ISTANBUL

Türkiye has solidified its reputation as a global hotspot for luxury wedding tourism, attracting ultra-wealthy couples from around the world and contributing an estimated $3 billion to its economy.

Istanbul and Bodrum stand out as the most sought-after locations, with Istanbul’s Çırağan Palace hosting 90 percent of the city’s high-end weddings.

Meltem Tepeler, a wedding planner catering to couples from regions such as India and the Far East, highlighted the sector’s economic impact. “Weddings are expected to contribute around $3 billion to Türkiye’s economy in 2024,” Tepeler noted.

She emphasized that Türkiye has firmly established itself as a leading wedding destination alongside Saudi Arabia and India, with growing interest from Far Eastern markets.

One notable event in 2024 was the wedding of an Indonesian businessman, which cost $9 million. “Those coming for weddings are ultra-rich,” Tepeler remarked. “They stay in luxury hotels, splurge on items like carpets and jewelry, and often rent out entire shops.”

Tepeler traced the origin of Türkiye’s wedding tourism back to 2004, but 2024 presented challenges.

“This year was about maintaining cost balance. Perceptions of high prices, comparable to or exceeding those of London, Paris and Dubai, affected demand. Costs in Istanbul have risen by at least 50 percent with a 20 percent VAT on top,” she explained.

Despite hosting 25 weddings in 2024 — down from the usual 35-40 — the sector faced setbacks. “We lost about 30 percent of weddings to other countries, particularly Dubai, which remains our biggest competitor for Indian weddings,” Tepeler revealed.

Looking ahead, Tepeler expressed cautious optimism for 2025. “While some families have already started booking for September 2025, the pace has been slower than anticipated,” she said.