Four years ago, Los Angeles public relations executive Sara Swiger booked a vacation to Poland, Hungary and Austria — and for the first time, she traveled alone. “I wanted to go somewhere I’d never been,” she explains. “Since I had no one to travel with, I went by myself.”
The trip exceeded her expectations. “I found I was more present and noticed details I’d miss when traveling with friends,” she says. “I enjoyed it so much that even now, while in a relationship, I still take solo trips from time to time.”
Pamela Woods of Columbia, S.C., had a similar awakening. After repeatedly asking friends to join her on trips, she grew tired of waiting and decided to go by herself. “It was incredibly freeing not to be roped into someone else’s schedule or bad mood,” she recalls.
Solo travel is no longer an anomaly. “Traveling alone is a growing movement, especially among women in their late 20s and early 30s,” says Tom Marchant, cofounder of the Virtuoso-affiliated travel planning company Black Tomato. “Whether they’re single or partnered, younger travelers are looking to recalibrate and find inspiration.”
Boat trip in Phang Nga, Phuket © JESSAMINE | DREAMSTIME
Data echo this trend across age groups: the 2015 Visa Global Intentions Study found that 24 percent of respondents traveled solo on their most recent leisure trip, up from 13 percent in 2013. Among first-time travelers, the share who went solo rose from 16 percent to 37 percent. Technology is also helping: platforms that connect visitors with locals — offering meetups, guided experiences or shared adventures — make independent exploration easier and more social. Swiger, for example, met a local who took her on a bicycle tour of the city, and seeing the destination through a resident’s perspective reshaped her impression of the place.
Travel companies have responded to the growing demand from solo travelers. Norwegian Cruise Line launched a Solo Initiative in 2010 featuring studio staterooms designed for single passengers, grouped near a private lounge where solo guests can gather. These cabins are priced between a per-person stateroom rate and a full single supplement and have been very popular, says Vanessa Picariello, Norwegian’s senior public relations manager. Holland America Line also offers single cabins on some ships and on the ms Nieuw Statendam, giving solo cruisers options that avoid the hefty single supplement.
River lines are adapting as well. Noting a rising number of solo guests, Uniworld began reducing or waiving single supplements on select cruises to make river travel more accessible for independent travelers, according to Ellen Bettridge, Uniworld’s president and CEO.
Many solo travelers prefer tailor-made experiences arranged by specialist advisors. Susan Farewell, owner of Farewell Travels in Westport, Conn., reports increasing demand for curated solo itineraries. Her solo clients range widely in age and background but often share a strong independent streak. “One of my solo clients is a 70-year-old woman with the adventurous spirit of an 18-year-old,” Farewell says. “She traveled to Oman and recently spent two weeks in Iran.” She attributes part of the solo travel surge to social media: vivid travel posts inspire people to go see the world for themselves.
Farewell not only crafts individualized itineraries with unique experiences — after-hours museum visits, private horseback excursions, one-on-one mountain treks — she also provides on-the-ground contacts to troubleshoot logistics, locate guides or help ship oversized purchases home. For complex, logistics-heavy activities such as multi-day biking trips or safaris, she often recommends a small-group component to ensure luggage transport and transfers work smoothly, emphasizing that groups should share similar goals and abilities.
Leah Smith, president of Tafari Travel, a Virtuoso agency in Denver, observes that many clients use solo travel to rekindle passions postponed for family or career. “People want a way to restart something they loved but don’t know how to begin,” she says. Travel advisors help lower the fear barrier, and once clients take that first solo trip, they often do it again.
New solo travelers often choose cruises or guided group tours to build confidence while retaining control over their activities. Melissa da Silva, president of Trafalgar Tours, notes that about 15 percent of the company’s guests travel solo, and Butterfield & Robinson reports a significant increase in solo female travelers. Contiki’s Independent Insider program targets individualists who want flexibility in itinerary length and activities, reflecting a broader trend: solo travelers seek adaptable experiences that balance independence with social opportunities.
Hotels and resorts are creating packages for single guests as well. The Chanler at Cliff Walk in Newport, R.I., introduced a package geared to solo visitors, recognizing that many offers are designed for couples. To appeal to solo travelers, the package includes flexible options like a food-and-beverage credit instead of a fixed dinner reservation, acknowledging that not everyone wants a full solo meal in a restaurant but might enjoy a casual bite and a glass of wine.
Yoga at Red Mountain Resort © RED MOUNTAIN RESORT
Wellness resorts, once primarily a destination for friend groups, are also adapting to solo guests. Regular solo visitor Judith Burdick praises Red Mountain Resort in St. George, Utah, for its thoughtful approach to independent travelers: scheduled outdoor activities, a communal dining table and a general sensitivity to the needs of solo guests help prevent isolation. “There couldn’t be a more perfect place for solo travelers,” she says.
Tracey Welsh, general manager at Red Mountain Resort, notes that about 35 percent of the resort’s guests come alone. “Even on vacation, women often play the role of caregiver,” she says. “Time to truly relax has become a rare luxury, and sometimes the only way to find that space is to travel alone. When our solo guests leave, they feel empowered and ready to return to their lives.”