Solo travel is booming and changing the entire industry
Solo travel was once the domain of rugged adventurers or travelling salespeople. Now, it seems, there’s a little bit of lone wolf in many of us.
Booking website Skyscanner has noticed it. Between June 2024 and May 2025 hotel-for-one searches on its platform were up 83 per cent compared with the previous 12 months.
And research released by the Tourism & Transport Forum in January 2025 found 15 per cent of Australians were likely to travel solo on a forthcoming trip, rising to 26 per cent among 18 to 24-year-olds and 22 per cent among those aged 25 to 34.
But going solo doesn’t necessarily mean being a party of one. It can simply mean no longer waiting for a partner, friend or family member to have the time, money or inclination to go where you want to go.
Sydney-based touring company Distant Journeys caters to solo travellers happy to travel in a group with other solo travellers. Its Exclusively Solos itineraries aren’t conventional tours with some places allocated to singles – the entire group travels solo.
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That’s good news for those solo travellers who might be dismayed to find themselves on a tour that is overwhelmingly composed of twosomes. Eating alone can attract concerned looks and then there are the well-meaning invitations to join other people’s tables. Sometimes you want company. Sometimes you really just want to eat your pasta in peace.
“They don’t want to be part of a group made up of couples because this can make them feel isolated,” says Distant Journeys general manager Chris Fundell. “Being part of a dedicated solo group gives reassurance.”
The Tourism & Transport Forum research found women were more comfortable than men with the idea of joining an organised tour alone – 43 per cent compared with 34 per cent.
In line with that, about 75 per cent of Exclusively Solos’ guests are women, the average age is 66 and the vast majority are single. Many are also taking their first solo touring holiday.
India, Sri Lanka and Japan are among Distant Journeys’ most popular destinations for solo guests, according to Fundell. “The motivations are to travel with like-minded solo travellers on tours designed for them,” he says.
These travellers are keen to visit destinations they may not feel comfortable tackling independently and instead opt for “the comfort of a group environment with an experienced tour manager”.
There’s also the issue of the dreaded single supplement. Travellers have long been slugged extra for occupying a room alone on a tour, but Distant Journeys’ dedicated solo trips don’t impose one. Some of its solo tours are also capped at 19 guests.
Australian Seniors Grey Gap Year Report 2025 found 29 per cent of Australians aged over 50 surveyed had travelled solo during the previous five years, with another 16 per cent considering or planning to do so.
It’s a significant enough cohort to alert the wider industry to adaptation. More cruise lines now offer cabins designed and priced for one, while other tour operators are creating dedicated solo departures – a trend that’s giving new meaning to “party of one”.
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