Trending Now: Solo Traveller Numbers Rise

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High numbers of solo travellers is nothing new for Exodus – we’re used to an average of 40% of our travellers booking solo. But what’s changed in the last few months to see that rise to 66%?

Trekker in Nepal

Why choose solo travel?

It’s always been popular, but solo travel seems to have had a new lease of life this year.

Exodus trips normally hover around the 40% mark for travellers booking solo, but for bookings made over the summer months that has increased by half as much again to a record 66%.

You can’t argue with the statistics. But what’s made people suddenly so keen?

Apart from the building excitement of late getaways, which are becoming more and more common for all of us as the internet makes it so much easier to make a quick decision, there is a general trend of people being more open to new challenges, being thirsty for exciting new experiences.

The internet makes it easier and easier to share these experiences, making them feel more achievable, even if you’re the only person you know who is interested.

Find out more about solo travel experiences.

Solo traveller on the Great Wall of China

As Exodus’ Marketing Director Jae Hopkins put it: “There has recently been a huge increase in the number of Brits taking part in activities such as Tough Mudders or ParkRuns, as well as joining cycling clubs across the country.

People are looking for new experiences, and ways to broaden their worlds. We see the increase in solo bookings as a continuation of this trend: people doing something that makes them happy – whether they have a partner or friend who fancies doing it with them or not.”

Trying canyoning

Solo Travel Experiences

So, why do people choose to travel solo? What makes this such an appealing way to go about things?

Usually it’s because one person wants to do something none of their nearest and dearest are interested in. Our good friends in real life often want other things from their precious time off – and whilst two weeks on the beach may be their idea of heaven, it doesn’t mean you should have to go along with it unquestioningly.

Equally, the idea of hoofing it up a mountain may fill them with dread. When you want such disparate things from your holidays, it makes sense to travel separately.

It happens all the time – somebody’s wife hates cycling holidays, somebody else’s friends are put off by an overly exotic destination.

Occasionally people just couldn’t get the dates to line up and didn’t want to delay. So they’ve gone ahead and done it anyway. Nobody wants to feel like they’re being held back from doing what they want.

Trekker on top of Cotopaxi

It happens so often that it’s considered par for the course – in fact, it’s extremely rare to be the only solo traveller in an Exodus group.

Most groups will have several people who booked independently – some share a room with someone of their own gender, some opt for a single supplement to get their own room, but either way you know you’ll have at least one thing in common with them: you both wanted to do this trip.

Cyclist in Portugal

It’s ideal for anyone bored of getting confused looks when you say your holiday this year is nowhere near a beach resort, or only getting blank looks when you name your destination.

Kindred spirits often meet on trips, and that first awkward airport meeting blossoms into lifelong friendships and annual reunion dinners.

And whilst the old fashioned idea that solos are travelling exclusively to find romance is dying off (many modern-day solo travellers are married people travelling without their spouses) it is not uncommon for people to meet their future spouses in groups.

So with it becoming easier and more common to travel solo, now is the opportune moment to give it a try.

Take a look at some of our trips for solo travellers below and take the plunge.