Flying Solo

This may come as a surprise – it appears our ambitions to travel don’t always match up with reality. After surveying 20,500 global travellers, recent research by Booking.com found that while the majority of people are keen to push their limits, experience new cultures and try local delicacies, they’re actually being held back by anxieties over language barriers, struggling to find accommodations and being in unfamiliar situations when travelling, reports assistant editor, Ann Ruppenstein in this week’s digital edition.

This is where tour operators can come in with the antidote, providing travellers with perks like local guides in the destination who speak the language, arranging logistics like hotels and the comfort and safety of being part of an organized tour. According to the newly released Solo Travel Trends Report compiled by Just You and Solo Traveler, which surveyed over 1,000 people, this is exactly why solo travellers are opting for escorted holidays.

The results found that, “I can travel to destinations that I wouldn’t be confident to book myself; Local guides help me to really understand the history and the culture of the destination; I can relax and enjoy, as I know everything is taken care of by the tour manager; Travel in the safety of a group” and “It takes the hassle out of planning,” were the top factors motivating solo travellers to embark on group tours over vacationing on their own.

Also important to note, the results found a significant portion of bookings were coming in through direct bookings with a tour operator and through travel agents. And it’s not just the younger generation travelling solo – the study revealed that the majority of solo travellers were actually 55 and up.

What’s also good news for business is when asked how many trips they were planning to take in the next 12 months, 36.41% said two; 24.02% said three, 21.85% said four or more; while 16.20% said one.

For the full story, check out this week’s digital edition of Travel Courier.