Solo travel—the stats

In celebration of Solo September here we've shared some of the top stats and data on solo travel:

• Solo travel is on the rise with over 16% of ABTA survey respondents saying they have embraced travelling alone. Numbers have more than doubled to 13% among those aged 35-44
• Searches for "solo travel deals" and "best solo destinations" are up 30%
• When flying solo, 90% prefer an escorted tour some or all of the time
• Women are paving the way for solo travellers with 84% of those going alone female
• Two of the top reasons travellers take tours are to visit places they would not usually feel confident to on their own. It's also favourable for the tour operator to do all the planning and manage the details at the destination
• Parents are joining the trend with 58% planning child-free trips to prioritise self-growth
• More than one fourth of travellers (27%) plan on traveling solo on their next trip. This is double the percentage from last year
• 65% are choosing to go their own way because family and friends do not share their travel interests
• Solo travel has become increasingly popular among people looking to explore new cultures and challenge themselves
• Solo travellers typically take longer trips than the other traveller personas at approximately 19 days on average
• When asked about what held them back from travelling solo, social anxiety, stigma of being seen alone and loneliness are the main obstacles. Women come out on top for citing these reasons as a barrier to travelling alone
• Despite some concerns about solo travel social stigma, 45% of those who have travelled solo enjoyed the freedom. Embracing local people and cultures being other top reasons for going it alone
• Why travel solo? 74% of travellers do not want to wait for others to see the world. 57% enjoy not having to compromise for others. 52% of us are happy to escape the daily routine while gaining confidence
• Japan was named the top solo travel destination for 2024

Survey data:

ABTA’s annual Holiday Habits research 2024-2025, conducted each summer by The Nursery Research and Planning. Nationally representative sample of 2,000 people

The Solo Traveler's 2024 Reader Survey with 2400 respondents

Solo Travel Trends & Statistics 2025 Condor Ferries. Sources within report include The Daily Telegraph, National Geographic, ABTA, Forbes, Solo Traveller World, Agoda