R ESCORTED TOURS SINGLE HOLIDAYS DESTINATIONS Going solo O
nce upon a time, the term ‘singles holiday’ conjured up
images of rowdy 18 to 30-year- olds necking beers – and each other – in the sunshine. While that market remains, singles holidays are now far more all-encompassing, applying to the one in three Brits who chose to travel solo last year. Given that a quarter of all adults have never married or are now divorced or widowed, this figure isn’t surprising, but what’s more eye-opening is that plenty of ‘single’ travellers aren’t actually single. Many clients choose to travel alone because their partner doesn’t want to or can’t go with them, accounting for around 900,000 travellers a year, according to research by Solos. A study from Holidays 101
revealed that the biggest surge in demand was from the over-50s, with senior singles holidays representing the fastest-expanding market in the UK travel industry. According to the research, 58% of single
holidaymakers are women, and that proportion rises for more active and exotic trips. Unsurprisingly, mainstream and specialist singles operators are responding to this demand by increasing their product, and many are also ensuring that solo travellers are no longer penalised by scrapping charges such as single-room supplements.
w TOURING TRENDS Travelling alone can seem a daunting prospect, particularly for the increasing number of single clients looking for less-touristy long-haul destinations, a trend reported by operators including Insight Vacations and Collette. An escorted tour offers security in the form of an expert guide and itinerary, as well as the sociable aspect of travelling with other people. “Our stats show that more and more clients feel comfortable going it alone on a group tour,” says Daniel Pawlyn, head of business
Travelling alone is far from lonely, writes Aby Dunsby
@AbraDunsby
2 June 2016
travelweekly.co.uk 55
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TOP TIP
Suggest a short city break to new solo
travellers as a great way for them to test the water
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