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The wedding industry is flourishing despite the tendency of many couples in different countries to avoid observing traditions. Globally, the annual operation cycle of the industry amounts to $300 billion and a substantial portion of this result is due to destination weddings. Their number accounts for almost one quarter of the total number of weddings in the world annually, and the amount spent for their organization is around €71.5 billion. At the same time, the number of weddings that take place in remote destinations grows by 10% each year.

The data were presented at the first global conference on "Destination Wedding Planners", which took place in Grand Resort Lagonissi near Athens. It involved more than 100 of the most popular and well-established companies in the industry, organizers of weddings, the goal of which was to meet companies that offer destinations worldwide.

The conference was organized by the QnA International company based in Dubai. "The interest for participation by organizers of weddings and suppliers from around the world was great," said company Director of International Cooperation Lisa Viegas.

The conducting of the conference coincided with the first mass wedding in Greece. 16 couples from China have arrived on the island of Crete, where they will exchange oaths of fidelity in the picturesque town of Chania. The women put on their wedding dresses and the men their suits and took pictures at different places.

Photos: Flashnews / Βίντεο Cretapost

On Thursday, the happy couples walked around the Venetian port of the town and visited other sights. In statements to Flashnews most of them said that "the conditions are the same as in the pictures" and one of the grooms even made a marriage proposal to his future wife in one of the streets of the old town of Chania.

After the wedding, all together, they will visit the towns of Rethymno and Agios Nikolaos, where they will be acquainted with local wedding traditions such as the kneading of a special kind of bread and will try the delicious "gamopilafo" - lamb with rice, which Cretans serve at weddings. The wedding trip of the couples from China in Greece will end with a visit to the romantic island of Santorini, which has been a traditional wedding destination for many couples for decades.

Along with the newlyweds, 70 relatives of theirs have arrived in Greece as well and about 20 Chinese journalists who will cover the happy event. The trip and the ceremony are held within the context of Rosewedding. They have been organized since 1998 by the tourism festival in Shanghai and Huangpu municipality.