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Rapport 2024 sur l'état du voyage en solitaire

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If you’ve ever wondered who travels solo, where they travel to, and why they choose to gallivant independently around the globe, this report reveals all... 👀

We've unearthed loads of interesting facts and figs about our adventurous Hostelworld community, including trip expectations, packing essentials and what REALLY makes a trip memorable. Life stage, motivations and favourite destinations may vary, but one thing remains clear – solo travel is more popular than ever. And we’re here for it! 😎

First off, who exactly ARE solo travellers?

A chart about the solo trvelers age. 18-24 years old 37.7%; 25-30 years old 29.4%; 31-35 years old 12.3%; 36-40 years old 6.5%; 40+ 14.1%
38% and 60% chart

38% of solo travellers are in the 18-24 year old bracket, with 68% in total under 31 years of age.

female icon60% chart
19 percent chart

Women are more likely to take solo trips, with 60% identifying as female. LGBTQIA+ travellers are well represented, with 19% of solo travellers identifying as part of this community.

When do they travel?

Most solo travellers are in full-time employment.

College and university students make up 20% of the solo travel crowd, while 18% take time out to travel between school and uni or between finishing education and starting work ✈️

When Value
In full-time employment 38%
College/university student 20%
Not currently working 15%
In between college/university and starting a job 10%
In part-time employment 9%
In between school and college/university 8%

Where do they travel?

stylised thailand flag
The solo travel destination of choice is Thailand, with just over 7% of solo explorers booking accommodation in this timeless backpacking destination.
This popular spot on the Southeast Asia trail has temples, islands, wildlife, palaces, markets, spas, diving, nightlife, incredible street food and more, all at an affordable price. Perfect for backpackers on a budget!🎒

Share of solo traveller bookings H1 23 & H2 22

Where Value
Thailand 7.4%
Spain 6.5%
Italy 5.4%
Australia 5.4%
Vietnam 4.8%
Indonesia 4.2%
USA 3.4%
Mexico 3.3%
Germany 3.3%
Portugal 3.3%
󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England 3.3%
France 3.2%
Colombia 2.8%
New Zealand 2.2%
Netherlands 2.0%
Japan 1.7%
Peru 1.6%
Philippines 1.5%
India 1.3%
Guatemala 1.3%

Top 5 destinations by visitor nationality

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Oceania solo travellers are most likely to visit:


Where Value
Italy 7%
Spain 6.2%
England 5.9%
Thailand 5.0%
Vietnam 4.3%
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European solo travellers are most likely to visit:

Where Value
Thailand 9.7%
Australia 6.2%
Vietnam 5.9%
Indonesia 5.0%
Spain 4.3%
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North American solo travellers are most likely to visit:

Where Value
Spain 7.5%
USA 6.8%
Italy 6.4%
Thailand 5.2%
Portugal 4.0%
Interesting takeaways:

Solo travellers based in US and India are most likely to travel within their home country

Of all nationalities, solo travellers from Europe are most likely to visit Southeast Asia

Indonesia is far more popular with European solo travellers compared to solo travellers from the US, Canada and Australia

What influences where solo travellers go?

Just over one in two solo travellers flag affordability and/or low cost of living as a key influence on their destination choice

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Over 30% go somewhere for the food

While almost half of solo travellers base their decisions on the weather, 40% have no preference as to which season they travel in

Key factors influencing destination choice:

Where Value
Affordability or low cost of living 50.6%
Weather conditions 49.6 %
Viewing renowned landmarks or natural/historical marvels 40.7%
Seasonal discounts or deals (cheap flights, accommodation etc)
39.7%
Available activities (surfing, diving, wildlife etc)
38.2%
How busy it will be (e.g. high or low season)
31.8%
The local cuisine 30.9%
Personal preferences for certain seasons 28.1%
Seasonal events/festivals 27.5%
Sports events 6.8%
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Where do solo travellers really want to go?

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When respondents were asked to name up to three places on their bucket list, Japan was the overwhelming favourite, with nearly one in four listing the Land of the Rising Sun as a must-go destination

Given that almost a third of solo travellers are foodies, this stands to reason – plus, who wouldn’t want to see high-tech Tokyo, cherry blossom trees, snow monkeys hanging out in natural hot tubs and so much more with their own eyes? 👀

Ultimate bucket list destinations

Solo travellers mentioning:

Where Value
Japan 23.3%
Australia 14.4%
New Zealand 13.3%
Italy 12.2%
Thailand 11.3%
Iceland 11.2%
Greece 10.6%
Vietnam 8.5%
Spain 8.1%
Brazil 7.8%
Peru 7.3%
Norway 6.1%
Portugal 5.1%
Argentina 5.0%
Paris 5.0%
Switzerland 4.6%
India 4.5%
New York 4.5%
Morocco 4.4%
Colombia 4.4%

Interesting takeaways:

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South America scored highly with Brazil's vibrant culture, Peru's historical sites like Machu Picchu and Argentina's diverse landscapes noted as key attractions

stylised Iceland flag

Iceland was bucket-listed by more than one in ten solo travellers, and was the second most popular European bucket list location after Italy

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Why do solo travellers go it alone?

Independence and cultural connection are key drivers in the decision totravel solo, with 75% valuing the freedom that comes with travelling alone

While independence is pivotal, almost half of solo travellers are also keen to connect with new cultures and new people, highlighting the importance of making meaningful connections on their journey 👋

When asked to choose the BEST thing about solo travel, respondents voted in favour of meeting and hanging out with new people (43%) over not having to compromise for others (26%) 🙋

The top 3 reasons people travel solo are:

Where Value
Independence and freedom 75%
Desire to connect with other cultures and people 45%
Unavailability of family and friends 35%
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Solo travel & safety

Travelling solo isn't without its challenges. Safety concerns and loneliness are top culprits for causing apprehension:

reason Value
Safety concerns 41%
Lack of companionship for special moments 37%
Difficulty meeting new people/making friends 34%
Fear of getting sick 32%

Female solo travellers were nearly three times more likely than male solo travellers to list safety as a concern:

gender Value
🚺 Female (1990 respondents) 54%
🚹 Male (1246 respondents) 19%
Non-binary (40 respondents) 48%
Transgender (13 respondents) 15%

Solo travellers adopt a wide range of tactics to tackle safety concerns:

reason Value
Informing friends and family about their location 30%
Researching places in advance 25%
Avoiding going out or walking alone at night 23%
Meeting other travellers and staying in groups 15%
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What are solo travellers’ expectations?

Almost half of solo travellers (45%) have no preconceived expectations of their travel experience 😎

acquiring a new skill 35%

Of those that did, over one in three (35%) have expectations of acquiring a new skill like cooking, surfing or learning a new language 🏄

A similar proportion (33%) have expectations of making lifelong friends, underlining the importance of forging social connections while travelling 👯

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What do solo travellers consider essential items?

Travel must have items

Gadget Value
Powerbank 66.4%
Reusable water bottle 55%
Paper journal and pen 40.6%
Laptop 23.2%
Kindle ebook reader
21.7%
Airtags GPS tags
20.7%
A dedicated camera (DSLR etc.)
17.2%
Bluetooth speaker 13.7%
Actual travel books (guides e.g. Lonely Planet)
11.9%
GoPro action camera
7.6%
Reusable coffee cup/flask 7.6%
Selfie stick 5.2%
power bank66%

Two thirds of solo travellers (66%) ensure they travel with a power bank

water bottle55%

Encouragingly from a sustainability viewpoint, more than half (55%) ensure they pack a re-usable water bottle

Journal40%

Despite being in our screentime era, just over 40% of solo travellers still consider a paper journal and pen to be travel essentials

While mobile phones, earbuds and headphones weren’t listed as options (they were taken as a given) a small number of respondents noted that they would be taking non-smartphones for a proper digital disconnect 📵

Solo travellers deem Whatsapp, Instagram and Hostelworld’s social app their top three essential communication/social apps:

App Value
Whatsapp 71.9%
Instagram 67.7%
Hostelworld App 58.0%
YouTube 20.4%
Facebook Messenger 13.5%
TikTok 13.2%
Facebook 11.9%
Snapchat 7.6%
Reddit 4.4%
Twitter / X 3.1%
Telegram 2.6%
WeChat 0.8%
Viber 0.6%
Threads 0.2%

Solo travel & money

If travel were free...you’d never see us again! Sadly, it costs money – and sometimes lots of it. Here’s what we know about how solo travellers fund their trips 🤑

Nearly 90% of respondents save money specifically to fund their travels, and 16% would consider using loans or credit cards to fund or top up their travel pot.

Almost 10% of solo travellers supplement their travels with in-trip local work across industries such as fruit-picking and hospitality, while just over 8% of travellers help fund their adventures digital nomad-style with remote work or digital content creation. A small number of solo travellers (1.4%) do both in-trip local AND digital work 💻

reason Value
In-trip local work 10%
Digital work 8%
In-trip local AND digital work 1.4%

Almost a third of solo travellers (30%) rely on spreadsheets for budget management. A similar number (29%) track their spending by taking lump sums out of ATMs and making the money last for specific timelines.

45% of solo travellers use finance apps to stay on-budget.
These include:

reason Value
Payment apps like Revolut and N26
28.8%
Dedicated budgeting apps like Splitwise and Spendee
13.9%
FX currency apps like Wise and OFX
13.6%

Solo travellers employ the following strategies to maximise their budget while travelling:

reason Value
I book the cheapest beds/rooms at the hostel 64.2%
I join free activities when I reach my destination (e.g. walking tours)
52.2%
I book the flight and/or hostel well in advance 49.2%
I cook my own meals at the hostel 41.6%
I meet other people in order to share costs (e.g. shared taxi rides)
27.6%

What makes a solo travel trip memorable?

“A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.”

Tim Cahill, travel writer and author

Think back to your last trip. What’s the first memory that comes to mind? Is it a place, an experience, a person?

Our report found that the destination is secondary for solo travellers – and that what makes a trip truly memorable is the people they meet along the way 👋

Here’s what transforms a solo trip into an unforgettable adventure:

reason Value
Meeting interesting people along the way 55%
The opportunity to see/visit places I've never seen before 41.2%
Discovering new and unexpected experiences 38.2%
The delicious food and culinary experiences 32.8%
Checking off a bucket list or dream destination 31.2%
The meaningful connections I made with locals and experiencing their culture 27.9%
Participating in local and typical festivities/events unique to the destination 14.6%
Enjoying the perfect weather conditions 13.9%

Summary

A typical solo traveller is predominantly young, with 68% under the age of 31, and the largest age groups being 18-24 (37.7%) and 25-30 (29.4%). Women are slightly more likely to travel solo, making up 60% of this demographic, while 19% identify as LGBTQIA+. These travellers come from various employment backgrounds: 38% are in full-time jobs, 20% are students, and 15% are not currently working. Many solo travellers take the opportunity to explore between educational stages or job transitions, with slightly more opting to travel between college/university and starting a job than between school and college/university 🎓

Popular destinations for solo travellers include Thailand, Spain and Italy, with Thailand being the top choice at 7.4% of bookings. Regional preferences vary, with North Americans often visiting Spain, the USA and Italy, while Europeans favour Thailand, Vietnam and Australia. The choice of destination is influenced by factors such as affordability (50.6%), favourable weather (49.6%), renowned landmarks (40.7%) and the allure of local cuisine (30.9%) 🗺️

Key motivations for solo travel include the desire for independence and freedom, cited by 75% of respondents, and the drive to connect with other cultures and people, which motivates 45%. Additionally, 35% travel solo due to the unavailability of companions. Despite the appeal of solo travel, it comes with challenges, particularly safety concerns, which are significant for 41% of travellers, especially women (54%) compared to men (19%). Common safety strategies include informing friends and family about travel plans, researching destinations in advance, and avoiding going out alone at night 🙋

Solo travellers prioritise packing essentials such as power banks (66.4%), re-usable water bottles (55%) and paper journals (40.6%). Mobile devices and social apps like WhatsApp (71.9%), Instagram (67.7%) and the Hostelworld app (58%) are crucial for staying connected. Financial planning is vital, with nearly 90% saving money specifically for travel. They employ various budgeting strategies, including booking cheap accommodation, joining free activities and using apps for budget management 💸

Memorable experiences for solo travellers often stem from meeting interesting people (55%), enjoying new experiences (38.2%), and sampling the local cuisine (32.8%). Checking off dream destinations and making meaningful connections with locals are also significant highlights of their journeys 🤩

Simply put, solo travellers are adventurous, budget-conscious and socially driven individuals who seek meaningful interactions, cultural exploration and new experiences. They value the independence and freedom of solo travel while navigating the associated challenges with careful planning and safety measures.

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About Hostelworld

Hostelworld Group PLC is a ground-breaking social network powered Online Travel Agent (“OTA”) focused on the hostelling category, with a clear mission to help travellers find people to hang out with. Our mission statement is founded on the insight that most travellers go hostelling to meet other people, which we facilitate through a series of social features on our platform that connect our travellers in hostels and cities based on their booking data. The strategy has been extraordinarily successful, generating significant word of mouth recommendations from our customers and strong endorsements from our hostel partners.

About the Survey Methodology

Traveller destination data was sourced from over four million annual trips conducted by solo travellers via Hostelworld’s booking platform in H2 2023 & H1 2024. All other information was sourced from a poll of 5,231 travellers conducted in May and June 2024, of whom 3,428 were solo travellers.