Australia has replaced Hawaii for the first...

Australia has replaced Hawaii for the first time as the most popular honeymoon destination for Japanese couples, according to a survey by the Japan Travel Bureau.

According to the poll of 2,000 couples planning to marry between October and December of this year, 92.4% said they intend to travel abroad for their honeymoon, up 3.9% from last year.

Hawaii has been the most popular honeymoon destination since the fall surveys began in 1972. In the current survey, the Aloha State was chosen by 18.5% of the couples, while Australia was preferred by 24.1%, 3.2% more than in 1986. Favorable fall weather was cited as the main reason for Australia’s increase in popularity. In addition, the bureau said, many brides have previously visited Hawaii.

After Hawaii and Australia, mainland United States, at 16.5%, and Europe, 11.7%, were the most popular destinations.