‘Solidays’ soar as holiday purse strings tighten
ebookers.com, one of Europe’s leading online travel agents, has found that ‘Solidays’ are on the rise with an increasing number of Brits heading off alone on holiday as friends and family struggle to fund travel plans, according to a new study released today.
The research, which polled 4,000 UK adults, reveals one sixth (15%) of holidaymakers have travelled alone in the last 12 months on a leisure holiday due to friends and family being unable to afford the trip as a result of the recession this year.
The research also uncovered:
- When looking to book a Soliday, more than 1 in 10 (14%) admitted they were motivated to travel alone due to a greater offering of package deals for singles available to them
- A third (33%) of those who travelled alone admitted that they wanted to try something different to the usual package holiday or city break
- Men are twice as likely to go it alone compared to their female friends, with a fifth of men going it alone (22%) compared to 1 in 10 women (11%)
- When it comes to maximizing holiday opportunities, people are taking advantage of travelling with work with 1 in 10 (11%) extending overseas business trips to explore their destination
- 21% of those who took a Soliday this year, claimed it was because they wanted to travel to a far-flung destination
- The most popular length of time for a Soliday is 5 – 7 days (21%)
Ben Reynolds, Head of Marketing for ebookers.com, says: “The recession is changing the way we travel, with people looking at new ways to ensure they can still jet off on a break this year. The Soliday seems to be emerging as a trend for people who can still afford a break. Despite friends and family impacted by the recession choosing to stay at home – Solidaymakers have found a way to plan and book travel carefully to ensure they get a bargain break – even if it means going alone.”
Location, Location, Location
The research uncovered the top Soliday destinations include Europe (34%), India (14%) and Africa (11%). And although the continent leads as a short-haul Soliday destination, nearly half (40%) of travellers admitted they have headed as far afield as Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, South America and the United Arab Emirates.
Soli-day Success
Despite not travelling with friends and family, almost a third (32%) of people said going on a Soliday allowed them to meets lots of new people, an experience they wouldn’t have had if they had travelled as part of a family group. Over a quarter (26%) enjoyed travelling alone so much that they would definitely try it again in the future.
Young and Free
Leading the Soliday trend are those aged between 18 and 25, with more than half (51%) of this age group admitting to travelling alone in the last 12 months. Of this travel group, almost a third of them have been on at least five holidays or more in 2009 alone!
“We know our customers are looking for value for money and by offering great savings on hotels, flights, and holiday packages ebookers hope to help those Soliday-makers to maximise their money during these tough economic times – whether it’s for city breaks, short-haul or long-haul destinations” added Reynolds.