woman sitting alone on the beach

Latest Data on the Rise of Solo Travel

Feb 8, 2021 | DAE & Company, Design

Any way you look at it, going it alone is getting bigger in the travel industry. And as more and more people are packing up and heading out on their own solo travel adventures, smart marketers in the travel industry would be wise to keep up with the latest stats. Following are a few of the most recent updates on this growing market pulled from a variety of industry studies.

  • A global solo travel survey conducted last October showed that of almost 21,000 people surveyed around the world, 76% claimed to have traveled alone or said they were considering it. And that was regardless of demographics such as age, nationality, and gender. Source
  • Between 2017 and 2019, Google searches for “solo women travel” increased an astonishing 230%. Source
  • Tour company VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations reported that in 2016, 68% of its female clients traveled alone. A similar company, Country Walkers, said that 87% of its female travelers were single that same year. Source
  • Among travelers, those going solo take longer trips—an average of 19 days. Source
  • One study showed that a third of Gen Z prefer to travel alone, expressing particular interest in solo backpacking trips and taking a “gap year.” Source
  • In 2018, the Adventure Travel Trade Association listed solo travel as one of the top 20 trends to watch. Source
  • A 2017 study by Princeton Survey Research Associates showed that among Millennials, 58% are willing to travel alone and that 26% of millennial women have already traveled alone. Source
  • When asked to name the greatest motivators for solo travel in one 2018 study, respondents ranked “relaxation and time to unwind” at the top. This factor ranked much lower in regard to non-solo travel. Source
  • A May 2018 study of 20,500 travelers by Booking.com showed that two fifths of Baby Boomers around the globe had traveled solo in the past year and that another 21% were planning to do so in the future. Source
  • The same Booking.com study reported that 34% of respondents named solo travel among the “top five trips that they have already been on and would like to go on again.” Source
  • A 2018 study of 2,300 people by marketing firm MMGY Global found that about 25% of respondents claimed they would travel alone in the coming year. Source

Looking for more insights on marketing and advertising? Check out our blog post on the tribe marketing movement.

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