The Australian wedding industry generates more than $2 billion annually and, according to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, couples spend an average of $36,200 tying the knot.
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Ask anyone who has even thought of the word ‘wedding’ and they can tell you the dollars add up quickly.
Some of the biggest costs are for food, alcohol and the venue, while the wedding clothes and accessories and photography also add to the bill.
And, it’s a growing industry.
The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows there were 118,401 marriages registered in 2016, an increase of 4.2 per cent from the year before, while the divorce rate is decreasing.
With the new marriage laws officially coming into effect on Tuesday, the wedding market has even more customers, as same-sex couples begin to book in their nuptials.
The Tourist Industry Council of Tasmania has grabbed onto this opportunity and, with the help of LGBTI human rights advocate Rodney Croome, has launched a campaign encouraging same-sex couples to get married in the Apple Isle.
TICT chief executive Luke Martin said just before Christmas Mr Croome had asked what the tourism industry was doing to promote and showcase Tasmania as a destination for weddings and honeymoons, in the lead up to marriage equality laws coming into effect.
“We talked it over and agreed it was important we celebrate Tasmania generally, and our remarkable progress over the past two decades since the decriminalisation of homosexuality when we had a bad reputation as a destination among the LGBTIQ communities, to now being an open, inviting and inclusive destination for everyone,” Mr Croome said.
The council also aims to promote inclusion with its rainbow accreditation system, which was the first of its kind in Australia, with an industry standard recognising tourism and hospitality operators who understand their legal responsibilities under the Anti-Discrimination Act to treat all visitors equally.
It is a strong stance from major players in the state which was the last to decriminalise homosexuality, but it is a smart one.
The campaign does more than promote inclusion, it promotes Tasmania as a destination. It’s not just good for the LGBTIQ community but good for the economy.
Holly Monery
Holly Monery is a journalist for The Examiner newspaper, based in Launceston, Tasmania. Her main area of focus is local government.
Holly Monery is a journalist for The Examiner newspaper, based in Launceston, Tasmania. Her main area of focus is local government.
