More than half (54%) of British female solo travel enthusiasts are now more likely to holiday alone than they were five years ago, according to a research from Booking.com – a company focussed on booking hotel and other accommodations online.
More than an escape from everyday life, women tourists reportedly chose solo travel as a means to explore and experience new cultures, with almost two thirds (64%) saying they actually feel more confident when taking a trip on their own.
Nearly two third (61%) of the respondents in the research, which queried more than 1,000 British women, said that they felt more energised and refreshed after taking a trip by themselves – over travelling with others. 64% said they have more freedom to be themselves when travelling alone, with 47% saying that it allows them to be a bit more selfish and do exactly what they want to do.
Social media also plays a key role in empowering women for solo tours and boosting their confidence to go on holiday by oneself. Nearly two-thirds (62%) keep in touch with friends and family back home while travelling, with three quarters opining that social media enables them to discover unusual places to go or find places to eat, enhancing their confidence to visit destinations on their own.
The ‘Me, Myself And I’ holiday trend is expected to continue, with over half (51%) of female solo travel fans saying they plan to do so again in the next 12 months.
Paul Hennessy, CMO at Booking.com, commented: ‘Our research suggests that the phenomenon of the female solo traveller is one that is here to stay. A third of British female travellers are looking for that freedom to set their own agenda, and to really find that boost in confidence that a solo break provides.’
Booking.com is celebrating the empowerment of the woman solo-traveller with its latest TVC ‘Brianless,’ which has gone on air across the UK and US as well as on Booking.com’s YouTube channel, from April 28. The film tells the story of Jen, who very much loves her partner Brian but doesn’t necessarily love the same type of holiday as he does. ‘Will she miss him or will the holiday turn out to be a vacation of a lifetime for her’ – that’s the campaign theme.
