Travel trends have seen many changes, and in the last few years more and more people are embracing solo travel as they want uninterrupted “me time” or to reward themselves.
These are some the findings in the ‘Solo Travel’ study commissioned by travel activities and services booking platform Klook and conducted by YouGov, a global public opinion and data company.
The study, which polled close to 21,000 respondents across 16 markets, found that 76% of them have either travelled alone or are considering it.
On the reasons for flying solo, half of the respondents said they wanted to enjoy uninterrupted However, while many said they are keen to hit the road alone and enjoy “me time” or reward themselves, which suggests that travellers value their independence more than ever.
When comparing generational preferences, 80% of Gen Z (18 to 24-year-olds) respondents and 79% of Millennials (25-39) said they have already travelled alone or would be keen to plan a trip.
The adventurous spirit is not confined to just younger travellers. Findings reveals similar trends among the older generations – about 73% of Gen X (40-54) and 71% of Baby Boomers (55+) said they were interested in traveling alone.
There is also little difference between genders, with 74% of women and 78% of men saying they have either already experienced or would be interested to pursue solo travel.
“And while there has been an uptick in interest globally, the data shows that solo travellers in Asia are leading the charge by a large margin. Between 69% and 93% of travellers from Asia have either travelled solo in the past or say they are open to the idea. In western countries, by comparison, that number hovers between 60 and 69%,” stated the report.
However, while many said they are keen to hit the road alone and enjoy “me time” they had reservations about potentially feeling lonely. Half of the survey participants who wanted to solo travel said a “fear of loneliness” has been the biggest hurdle. This concern was prevalent across all generations, with Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X and Baby Boomers all ranking loneliness at their top concern.
Additionally, 48% said safety was their biggest worry, and 30%, planning and booking the itinerary on their own.
“It is exciting to see such a strong desire for solo travel across so many demographics. Interestingly, we have observed a surprising contrast where travellers are seeking more me-time and yet are worried about being lonely, resulting in a love-hate relationship with solo travel,” says Eric Gnock Fah, COO & co- founder of Klook. (see infographic below).
He added that Klook is helping to “empower solo travellers to explore new places independently” through connecting them with others through the company’s various experiences. “We hope more travellers realise that it is okay to explore alone – in fact, it is easier than ever and incredibly rewarding.”
• Featured image credit: Rawpixel/Getty Images
