e’sa winner Tap into the growing and lucrative market for solo touring with Laura French’s guide
DESTINATIONS SELLING TOURS | SOLO TRAVEL
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f solo travel was once the preserve of tie-dye-sporting backpackers looking to find
themselves on distant shores (à la Leo DiCaprio in The Beach), it’s now firmly the stuff of the mainstream – and that’s good news for agents. An Abta report found that more than one in seven people (15%) chose to go it alone in 2018, up from 12% in 2017 and 6% in 2011. In a recent survey by Intrepid Travel, 40% of those asked said they’d most likely travel solo (versus 44% with a partner). Those figures could grow further once lockdown eases and pent-up demand for travel translates into bookings. Research by Cox & Kings found that solo travel was the third-most-popular type of trip people were planning post-lockdown, while Just You believes it will be among the first segments to bounce back. “Solo travellers are incredibly adventurous,” says managing director Alastair Campbell. “As soon as we are able to travel again, it is expected that solo travellers may well be among the first to show a real interest in booking holidays.” Among the most lucrative sectors when it comes to selling to solos, of course, is the escorted touring segment. So how do you approach selling a solo tour in the current climate?
HIGHLIGHT THE BENEFITS First things first: point to the advantages of a group tour for solo travellers apprehensive of going it alone in the coming months, and wanting to avoid the lengthy process of researching where’s safe and what the guidelines are. “Back in March, when Covid-19 began to escalate, travellers across the world rushed to get home safely amid a lot of confusion and mixed messages,” says Joanna Reeve, Intrepid’s head of industry sales and tailor-made for the UK and Ireland. “Encouraging clients to travel with a reputable operator offers reassurance to solo travellers who may feel nervous in the current climate.” Michael Priest, head of tours at
Mercury Holidays, agrees. “The security of booking through a fully bonded operator has never been more important,” he says. “Having the support of a local guide and the company of like-minded travellers means you are never alone.” It’s worth highlighting new
measures operators are putting in place to reassure clients with concerns. Trafalgar and Insight Vacations have added a ‘wellbeing director’ on trips to ensure guests’ safety amid the pandemic, while²
travelweekly.co.uk
9 JULY 2020
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