2017.10.17
Okinawa weddings popular among couples from HK and Taiwan
At an Okinawa Resort Wedding Fair in Taiwan, sponsored by the Okinawa Convention and Visitors Bureau. attracted 1,400 participants in two days and 61 couples signed an agreement to tie the knot on Okinawa. That is 22% more than the organizers’ target.
According to OCVB, 15,399 couples had their wedding ceremony in Okinawa in 2016, a 8.6% increase (1,224 couples) from the previous year and the most ever. 1,867 of the couples were from foreign countries that is 28.1% (409 couples) more than previous year.
By country, 1,065 of the couples were from Hong Kong, 550 from Taiwan, and 142 from China.
According to an OCVB analysis, the reason is that wedding in a chapel by the sea has increased in popularity, and a regal wedding (a marriage according to the local law) has been recognized in Hong Kong.
The target is to have 16,000 couples to tie the knot in Okinawa this year. 12 companies from Okinawa participated in the fair in Taiwan, and sent special gifts to couples who contracted to have a wedding here.