Solo travelers know every journey encompasses a world of emotions, from exhilaration and liberation to fear and loneliness. Being out in the world without companionship allows us to connect more deeply to the type of traveler we want to be, on our own terms and timeline.
More of us than ever are venturing out alone, in the U.S. and internationally. A recent study conducted by accommodation powerhouse Booking.com finds one in five U.S. travelers plan to travel solo for the first time in 2017 and tour operators worldwide are reporting a solo surge. Global leader Intrepid Travel has seen a 40% increase over the past five years, with 50% of clients currently traveling alone.
Over 50% of guests in Hostelling International USA (HI USA) nationwide network are also solo says director of communications Netanya Trimboli. Some choose by default when travel companions can't be found while others are motivated more by freedom, says Trimboli.
While going solo may not suit everyone, experts agree every avid traveler should try once. "Undertaking a new travel experience for the first-time, whether that's visiting a new place or traveling solo, can be a fruitful, life enhancing and even life changing experience," says Booking.com's chief marketing officer Pepijn Rijvers, citing findings illustrating while traveling solo can be perceived as daunting, two-thirds of those surveyed (66%) feel it is worth it and three in five (61%) believe initial anxiety was unnecessary.
The writer is a freelance
---Jess Simpson
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