One of the most famous faces in India has chosen an exclusive private island in Thailand for his honeymoon. Are Indians poised to become the next premier luxury consumers?
(Image Courtesy of IANS)
Imran Khan, one of the leading lights of Indian cinema, is reportedly spending his honeymoon on an unnamed private island in Thailand’s resort district of Phuket. Khan, 27, married his long-time girlfriend Avantiki Malik in a civil ceremony on January 10th, 2010. Accompanied by 50 friends and relatives, the couple left on January 11th for their exotic celebration.
India’s booming economy has spurred the growth of a highly sophisticated and well-heeled upper class, and in recent years, the concept of “private islands” has very much entered the Indian consciousness. A multitude of articles have appeared in recent years in major Indian media outlets like the Times of India and the Mumbai Mirror, and for several years, Indians have become habituated to images in glossy magazines of Bollywood stars jetting off to the islands of the Maldives for holiday. As in North America, this celebrity association has added greatly to their popularity.
The resort where Khan and Malik are headed is unknown, but there are a plethora of options in Phuket, an area which has undergone a rapid transformation in the last decade. Marketed as Thailand’s first truly upscale destination, this coastal paradise has attracted multi-national developers such as Jumeirah, Six Senses Resorts and Spas, and Westin. Thailand’s growth is strongly tourism-based, but the arrival of large international players to the country’s once-sleepy resort districts is a strong sign of further modernization to come.
(Image Courtesy of Honeymoon Island Resort)
The advent of thriving luxury markets in both Thailand and India – two rapidly developing countries with immense growth potential – is an interesting signifier of where the global economy is headed. India, as one of the premier members of the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) juggernaut is poised to create an ever-expanding elite class of luxury consumers. Indians, if the idea continues to gain traction, may very well become the private island consumers of the future – especially if Imran Khan enjoys his honeymoon.
Read more about the wedding at: http://gulfnews.com/arts-entertainment/celebrity/bollywood-actor-imran-khan-off-to-thailand-for-honeymoon-1.744496
