Recommend June 2018 - 8

Traveltalk
Intrepid Travel hosts solo travelers
around the globe, including Vietnam.

Solo
Travel

Top Destinations & How to Book

Michelle Marie Arean

Recommend's annual June issue says "I do"
to destination weddings & honeymoons,
with most of the features focusing on this
market segment, but what about the journey
of falling in love with oneself? Solo travel
is showing an upward climb in popularity
and what better way is there to re-engage
with our own souls than by traveling alone
to experience other cultures and meet new
people, so we decided to put a spin on
traditional love and dedicate the monthly
Travel Talk column to this growing
market segment.
According to travel agents surveyed for
Recommend's Travel Trends Survey, whose
findings were published in the May issue, solo
travel is gaining traction, with more clients
than in previous years requesting this type
of travel. Leigh Barnes, regional director for
North America for Intrepid Group, has also
seen a growth for this segment.
"We have seen 24 percent growth in
solo trip bookings in 2017, with 40 percent
growth in solo travel over the past five years.
We estimate that 50 percent of our 150,000
annual travelers are solo." He adds that,
"Results of a recent survey commissioned
by Intrepid Travel confirmed the increasing
popularity of solo travel. The survey of 2,000
American travelers, conducted by OnePoll,
showed that four in 10 Americans have
traveled solo, and 75 percent feel it is easier
to do so than it was 10 years ago."
Insight Vacations has also seen an
uptick in solo traveling. "The solo travel

[market] has been a steady booking flow,
and more and more people are enjoying the
independent travel," says Jon Grutzner,
U.S.A. president of Insight Vacations and
Luxury Gold.

Why & Who
Reasons for traveling sans companion as
reported by Intrepid's survey include no
pressure to do certain activities, it's easier
to meet new people, and their friends don't
have the same time off. In Recommend's
survey, agents note that their clients are
booking solo trips because they want a
totally relaxing vacation where they can do
whatever they desire and un-plug from their
life, while others note divorce as the reason
guests are traveling solo. Grutzner adds, "It's
a great way of meeting people and making
new friends. That's what's great about these
trips. If you want your time alone, you
certainly can be. We have solo travelers who
have been on their 10th trip with us."
According to Barnes, 70 percent of
their solo travelers are female. Jacob
Marek, founder and chief explorer for
IntroverTravels, agrees saying that, "I find
that the majority of solo clients tend to be
women, citing safety as their number one
concern. Many of these clients are also very
career-focused and have limited time, so
their budgets are a bit higher and several
have told me that they no longer 'wait
around' for their friends to commit."

For more solo travel options, check out recmd.it/SingleTravel
8 june 2018

"There are plenty of great destinations for
solo travelers," points out Marek. "From a
business perspective, though, I find it best
for travel advisors to focus on destinations
that can seem challenging for an individual
to do online themselves or with a guide
book. I focus on places that are farther away,
more challenging to plan on one's own, and
where there is a higher probability for error-
places where solo travelers find comfort in
hiring a travel agent. Some destinations
that are perfect for solo travelers include
Eastern Europe and Iceland, South America
(Patagonia and Peru come up in discussion a
lot), and Southeast Asia."
Though solo travelers are taking these trips
alone, there's no need for them to be isolated.
Marek suggests travel agents "encourage
their solo clients to find ways to incorporate
social elements into their trip. Some perfect
small-group activities include cooking
classes, bicycle or horseback tours, and hot
air balloon rides. Individually, these types of
activities could be prohibitively expensive,
but they're a great way to have an incredible
experience and socialize a bit, too."
Marek points out that agents need to put
themselves in their client's shoes, "even if
you're not a solo traveler yourself. You'll
want to consider ways to make the trip feel
personal for them and add in elements of
socialization. And because solo travelers
often struggle with getting themselves
in the photo, I would also suggest doing
a Flytographer session or finding a local
photographer. It's a great way for solo
travelers to get some envy-worthy photos
of them in action, without the classic
'forearm-in-selfie shot.'" ■
Contact Information
Insight Vacations: insightvacations.com/us/specialoffers/solo-traveler-savings

Intrepid Travel: intrepidtravel.com/us/about/solo-travel
IntroverTravels: introvertravels.com

recommend.com


http://www.insightvacations.com/us/special http://www.intrepidtravel.com/us/about/solo-travel http://www.introvertravels.com http://www.recmd.it/SingleTravel http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend June 2018

Recommend June 2018 - 1
Recommend June 2018 - 2
Recommend June 2018 - 3
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Recommend June 2018 - 5
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Recommend June 2018 - 7
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