KV Tours and Travels, based in Mumbai, wants warring couples to hold off consulting lawyers and go on holiday instead - with a relationship counsellor in tow.

India, where marriage is still viewed as the bedrock of society, has traditionally had one of the world's lowest divorce rates.

Statistics reveal that only about one in 100 marriages ends in divorce, although the figures are rising.

Recently an Internet-based subsidiary called divorcelawyers.co.in, which bills itself as "India's first exclusive divorce law firm", was launched.

Tour packages targeting couples in the US, where one in two marriages ends in divorce, start at R5500.

The company's chief executive, Vijesh Thakker, said the aim was to send couples to places they had not previously visited, where they could be alone and without any relatives.

He said experienced marriage counsellors would accompany the husbands and wives, encouraging them to patch up their differences and make a fresh start.

"We're not destiny-changers, but we want them to treat the trip like a second honeymoon," he said. "With divorce tourism, what we're trying to do is to bring together couples who are heading towards divorce to stop them."