Article courtesy of The Resorts Collection.
Eat Pray Love Has Made Bali a Honeymoon Hotspot!
- A new study reveals which movies have had the most influence over honeymoon destination choices.
- Bali in Indonesia, as featured in Eat Pray Love, receives 2,754 average monthly Google searches for honeymoon-related queries.
- Santorini, Greece, from Mamma Mia, ranks second with 1,745 monthly searches.
A new study by luxury travel advisors The Resorts Collection reveals that Bali, Indonesia, is America’s most Googled movie-inspired honeymoon destination.
The study looked at Google searches for honeymoon-related terms across destinations featured in popular movies and TV shows. Data from TripAdvisor was also collected to show each location’s number of romantic hotels and average visitor ratings. Many of these destinations are also known for romantic hotels with jacuzzi in room, giving couples a more private way to enjoy their honeymoon.
Bali, Indonesia,
is the most in-demand movie-inspired honeymoon destination, with 2,754 average monthly Google searches in the U.S.
The island paradise, showcased in Julia Roberts’ Eat Pray Love, is home to 750 romantic hotels with an average visitor rating of 4.70 out of five stars.
Santorini, Greece,
the backdrop for Mamma Mia, ranks second with 1,745 monthly searches. The Greek island offers 722 romantic hotels with an average visitor rating of 4.64.
Paris, France,
immortalized in Midnight in Paris, takes third place with 907 average monthly Google searches. The ‘city of love’ also offers 581 romantic hotels with an average rating of 4.51.
Las Vegas, Nevada,
the iconic setting of The Hangover film series is fourth with 734 monthly searches. However, the city is only home to 26 hotels deemed romantic.
Mauritius,
the tropical paradise featured in Couples Retreat, comes fifth with 638 monthly Google searches. The island nation offers 239 romantic hotels with a solid 4.53 average rating.
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico,
which appeared in The Heartbreak Kid, takes sixth with 583 monthly searches. The Mexican resort city features 70 romantic hotels with an average rating of 4.58 stars.
New York City,
rounds out the top destinations with 511 monthly searches, drawing inspiration from Sex and the City. The Big Apple offers 145 romantic hotels with an average 4.50-star visitor rating.
The ten most Googled movie-inspired honeymoon destinations
| Rank | Location | Movie/Show | Monthly Google Searches | Number of ‘Romantic’ Hotels | Average Hotel Rating (Out of Five) |
| 1 | Bali, Indonesia | Eat Pray Love | 2,754 | 750 | 4.70 |
| 2 | Santorini, Greece | Mamma Mia | 1,745 | 722 | 4.64 |
| 3 | Paris, France | Midnight in Paris | 907 | 581 | 4.51 |
| 4 | Las Vegas, Nevada | The Hangover | 734 | 26 | 4.34 |
| 5 | Mauritius | Couples Retreat | 638 | 239 | 4.53 |
| 6 | Cabo San Lucas, Mexico | The Heartbreak Kid | 583 | 70 | 4.58 |
| 7 | New York City, USA | Sex and the City | 511 | 145 | 4.50 |
| 8 | Phuket, Thailand | Mother of the Bride | 362 | 530 | 4.39 |
| 9 | Venice, Italy | The Tourist | 317 | 395 | 4.49 |
| 10 | Côte d’Azur, France | Emily in Paris | 263 | 639 | 4.52 |
On the opposite end of the scale, Marina Bay Sands in Singapore receives the lowest search volume at 13 monthly queries, despite its feature in the popular film, Crazy Rich Asians.
Florian Pauly, Co-founder of The Resorts Collection, added:
“Movies have always inspired travel decisions, especially for significant trips like honeymoons. The high search volume for Bali shows that the natural beauty and spiritual elements portrayed in romantic films like Eat Pray Love continue to attract couples.
“However, the quality of hotels doesn’t always align with popularity. Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands has the highest rating but the lowest searches, while Las Vegas has among the lowest hotel ratings but remains a top destination. Tourists may often prioritize the overall experience and setting they’ve seen on screen over the accommodation quality.”
Methodology:
This study collected data for movie-inspired honeymoon locations suggested by weddingvows.com and honeyfund.com. For each location, the corresponding movie’s IMDB rating was collected. The count of romantic hotels and their average rating was collected from Tripadvisor. The U.S. average monthly search volume was collected for each location using the templates: “[location] honeymoon”, and “honeymoon in [location]”.
Sources:
- weddingvows.com – https://www.weddingvows.com/
honeymoon-destinations-from- your-favourite-movies-you- shouldnt-miss - honeyfund.com – https://www.honeyfund.com/
blog/10-dream-honeymoon- destinations-iconic-hotels- from-your-favorite-movies-and- tv-shows - imdb.com – https://www.imdb.com
- tripadvisor.com – https://www.tripadvisor.com
- Google Keyword Planner