Traveling Alone: ​​solo travel on the rise as travelers opt for “me time”

More Brits are choosing to travel alone, on their own – using apps and social media – because it means a no-strings-attached holiday.

Solo travel, or traveling alone, is on the rise, with an increasing number of tourists opting for trips that allow them to “do what they want”. Around 15% of travelers traveled alone in the last year, according to the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) 2018 holiday habits report. The number is 12% last year and 6% in 2011.

The age group that showed the biggest increase was 35 to 44 years old, with more than 16% traveling alone: ​​the figure for 2017 was just 5%. Having the opportunity to do what they wanted was the most common reason given by three-quarters of people surveyed across all age groups, while waiting time and meeting new people became less important, according to the report.

The upward trend over the past decade is attributed to improved technology and a growing number of apps (along with social media) that allow travelers to navigate the world with more ease and confidence: from instant translation, free global messaging, and other roaming. for apps that connect people with other solo travelers or local hosts for dinner, tours or a bed for the night.

“Going on holiday alone means you don’t have to compromise on your choice of destination, your itinerary or the activities you take part in,” said Mark Tanzer, chief executive of Abta. “Travel companies have responded to demand by offering a range of options for people to book themselves.”

Tour operators that have increased the number of trips aimed specifically at solo travelers include Intrepid Travel, which has doubled its independent travel offering this year and says “solo” travelers now make up 50% of its customers. Their small-group tours for solo travelers aim to provide a “ready-made group of friends.”

Independent travelers also make up half of tour operator Explore's customers - which led it to eliminate its single occupancy fees on more than 60 of its group trips in June. Other travel companies that offer tours for independent travel and group travel include G Adventures, STA, and Saga.

Abta reported that overall, the number of Brits taking holidays remained high, with 86% of respondents taking holidays at home or abroad in the 12 months to August 2018 (87% in 2017). Package holidays saw a small decline, although they remain a popular choice for holidays abroad (49%, down from 51% last year). City breaks were still the most popular type of trip: 48% of respondents took a year, followed closely by beach holidays (40%).

Meanwhile, VisitBritain revealed that its target of 40 million incoming visitors in 2020 will be reached two years early. Now, 40,9 million people are expected to visit in 2018 (up from 39,9 million in 2017).

Despite Abta's positive numbers, the response from the British Tourism Authority's chairman, Steve Ridgway, had a note of caution, in light of Brexit:

“We face a number of significant challenges – most importantly, the UK’s departure from the European Union. While we address the initial fluctuations in the currency and the concerns of EU workers, we will soon need to deal with the longer-term realities. We want to ensure the future relationship keeps our borders as fragile as possible for visitors, our aviation as connected as ever and our economic stability on track – because tourism depends on it. ”