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Solo travel is no longer a pursuit reserved for thrill seekers or gap year students.
It’s more popular than ever before for travelers to take to the road on their own and visit the far-flung countries and destinations they’ve always wanted to.
Why wait to find a like-minded travel partner, right?
But would it surprise you to learn that a solo traveler is most likely to be female and aged between 30 and 45?
These trends and more have just been uncovered by online solo travel platform Solo Adventures, which recently surveyed its readers to get a better understanding of this booming travel movement.
If you thought you knew solo travel, these 6 trends revealed by the study may make you think again:
Not Just For Youngsters
It’s easy to imagine that nearly all solo travelers are young people, either pre or post college.
While there are many who do fit that description, the true picture is much wider, with an estimated 40 per cent of solo travelers falling in the 30-45 age bracket.
This surprising trend could be accounted for by the fact this generation have more expendable income than students, they also increasingly have jobs that they can do remotely as digital nomads.
It’s also possible that the years of restricted travel due to the pandemic encouraged many in this generation to take their chance and see the world now.
Female Travelers Are The Majority
The growth of solo travel is most definitely being led by female travelers – the Solo Adventurers survey revealed that almost three quarters of those who travel alone are female.
It’s a stat that probably would have been much lower in years gone by, but a wealth of online content and supportive communities on social media are helping break down the barriers that may have previously put women off traveling solo.
Solo travel is a fantastic way to experience new things, increase your confidence, and become a more rounded and independent person – and women all over the world are embracing it.
Europe Is The Most Popular Destination
Despite the world getting smaller and it being easier to travel to more remote and unheard-of locations, Europe remains the most popular choice for solo travelers.
Traditional destinations like France, Italy, Spain, and the U.K. still have huge appeal, but Europe’s lesser-known destinations are now also growing in popularity.
Countries such as Slovenia, Malta, Croatia, and Hungary have seen solid increases of visitors as travelers seek new experiences on the continent.
Many of these places offer cheaper prices, fewer crowds, and even easy to obtain digital nomad visas.
Digital Revolution
The growth of solo travel has no doubt been aided by technology.
The hashtag #solotravel has almost nine million posts on Instagram, while online searches for the term continue to grow year on year.
The saying “if you can see it, you can be it” has definitely become true with solo travel.
The more content that exists around the topic, the more people will be inspired to start planning their own solo travel experience.
This snowball effect caused by online content shows no signs of slowing down.
Safety Is Paramount
This will probably seem pretty obvious, but safety is a top priority for modern solo travelers.
It was revealed as the most important factor among those surveyed, which is proven by the popularity of well-known safe locations among solo travelers.
Staying safe while traveling has become easier in the modern world, thanks to better technology that allows solo travelers to stay connected with their loved ones.
It’s also not uncommon to meet and team up with like-minded folks for part of your journey, which can help you both feel safer.
Keeping The Costs Down
Affordability is an important factor for solo travelers, which can be seen by the fact that visiting countries during their off-peak seasons is incredibly popular.
Traveling to places in the quieter months also makes them easier to explore thanks to there being fewer crowds and less competition for accommodation and restaurants.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com