According to the Institute of Certified Travel Agents (ICTA), several new travel trends signal the growth of an unconventional attitude towards honeymoon travel and will transform the way couples plan and enjoy honeymoons in the future. The Honeymoon Gift Registry is one example of a new service that offers modern couples a practical alternative to the traditional gift registry.

With the average U.S. couple delaying marriage into their late 20s, most have already acquired their living essentials (toasters, linens, etc.), and some are choosing to not register for traditional gifts at department stores. Working with their travel agent, couples select their dream honeymoon package, and then family and friends make a gift purchase towards the total cost of the trip.

With the average U.S. couple spending over $4,000 on their honeymoon—three times the average amount spent on other types of leisure travel—the Honeymoon Gift Registry can provide newlyweds with a honeymoon that might otherwise been out of their budget.

Other new honeymoon travel trends include:

* Locating and utilizing "traditional" travel agents via the Internet. Due to the significant emotional and financial investment involved in honeymoon planning, many Internet savvy couples are NOT utilizing large travel Web sites to book travel. Instead, they're seeking the services of "traditional" travel agents who have made the successful transition from conventional to e-commerce business. Though typically not located in the couple's hometown, these travel professionals provide the personalized attention usually offered at a "bricks and mortar" travel agency, but instead via telephone, fax and e-mail.

* Delaying the start of the honeymoon by as much as a week after the wedding day

* The South Pacific as the hottest, new honeymoon destination Including Tahiti, Fiji, Bora Bora, Australia, New Zealand and the Cook Islands

Jack E. Mannix, CTC, president of ICTA, offers over 30 years of travel industry expertise and is available to speak on these new honeymoon travel trends. Additionally, several eminent Certified Travel Counselors (CTCs) who are leading the industry in the specialization of honeymoon travel planning are also available for comment on these new trends and honeymoon services.

ICTA is the travel industry's premier educational organization that trains travel agents to be the most knowledgeable, reputable and reliable travel professionals. Based in Wellesley, Mass., ICTA has been educating and certifying travel professionals for 37 years with over 30,000 CTCs in the field today.