The world is now a lot easier to travel and the days of having to be good at map-reading, with the ability to overcome language barriers is a thing of the past. What is behind this continual increase in travellers opting to go it alone?
Is it an increased desire for travellers to be able to “do what they want” and not be restrained by companions stopping them from doing what they want, when they want? Whilst the age range that showed the biggest increase was that of 35-44-year olds, across all age groups, 75% of those surveyed admitted the biggest reason they opt to go it alone was the opportunity to do whatever they wanted.
“Going on holiday by yourself means you don’t have to compromise on your choice of destination, your itinerary or the activities you take part in” recognised Mark Tanzer, chief executive for Abta. With more and more travel companies responding to this upward trend by offering a range of options for people booking by themselves.
There is clearly more behind the rise of this trend than just people deciding to do what they want, whenever they want and having more options to do just that. There is also the aspect of improved technology and a growing number of apps that enable travellers to navigate the world with more ease and confidence than ever before. With new and improved roaming options, instant language translation, and apps that connect people everywhere. It’s easier than ever before to go travelling alone and still feel connected with those at home, as well as the unknown city around you.
So, what does this trend mean for the UK staycation market? With an increasing number of brits choosing to holiday at home in a bid to save money and explore what’s on their doorstep it could have some positive effects.
An interesting influence towards both UK staycations and solo travel is #MyMicroGap. The campaign, costing £2.5 million, was recently launched by VisitEngland and targets young people with experiences and activities typically taken during a gap year that can be condensed into a micro-holiday in the UK. This campaign alongside the rise of solo travel could have interesting effects on domestic holidays, with the idea of ‘microgapping’ appealing to almost two-thirds and more than half likely to take a microgap during the next three years.
Campaigns like VisitEngland’s promote the brilliance of staycations to a younger audience, while solo travelling is now more prominent and easier as more options become available. The two trends work well together, and the UK staycation market could very well benefit from this solo travel trend.
