Singles holidays are far from what they once were – with a recent survey by Souk Response finding 4 out of 5 people over 35 would travel solo, and even more surprisingly that 69% of them were in a serious relationship.
Think singles holidays and you probably imagine group bonding excursions with recent divorcees looking to find that ‘special’ someone or bus tours with drunken 20-year-olds.
But singles holidays are far from what they once were – with a recent survey by Souk Response finding 4 out of 5 people over 35 would travel solo, and even more surprisingly that 69% of them were in a serious relationship.
The most popular reason to travel alone was to meet new friends and learn something new; with 63% of respondents saying they wanted to meet like-minded people and 43% saying they wanted to try a new hobby or learn a new skill.
This is compared to only 10% who were looking for a causal relationship and 5% who were after a serious relationship.
Yet while more travellers are going on singles holidays, they are less likely to book with dedicated solo tour operators; instead looking for holiday specialists that offer more diverse holiday options.
With over 80% of their guests travelling solo – leading holiday specialist GoLearnTo.com has experienced a growing demand for holidays suited to solo travellers but that aren’t exclusive to singles.
“People don’t want to be boxed in on holidays that are solely for singles. We offer game-changing solo travel; they’re holidays for people of all ages and nationalities who share a common interest and a passion for travel,” says GoLearnTo.com founder and CEO Vanessa Lenssen.
“And once people have booked they’re hooked; with 32 per cent of our guests’ booking on another holiday within the same year,” Vanessa says.
Aileen, 29 travelled solo with GoLearnTo.com on yoga and surfing holidays in Morocco and said it was one of the best travel experiences she’d had.
“From the people I met, the teachers I had, the surfing I did – everything was perfect! I came back wanting to repeat my adventure all over again,” she said.
After a solo trip to learn Spanish and photography in Costa Rica last year, Manish, 39 agreed.
“I loved it. I’ve been using what I learnt at the course ever since and I made some really great friends,” he said.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
