Ontario Speaking Tour Focuses on Solo Travel

Solo travel has been growing since 2013 and, according to multiple studies*, shows no evidence of slowing down. These studies, and most others on the solo travel market, extract information from a general pool of travelers. The 2018 Solo Traveler Reader Survey, sponsored by Just You, a Canadian tour company that specializes in solo travel, was completed by people who actually travel solo.

Among the 27 questions asked was, “Why do you travel solo?” The number one answer identified by 59% of respondents was “I want to see more of the world and I don’t want to wait for others.” A further 45% said that they “want to do what they want when they want.”

When asked how they travel solo, 73% said they travel independently and 54% said they travel on group tours, indicating that people choose different modes of solo travel at different times. When asked why they take a group tour, 50% said it is because “I can travel to destinations that I wouldn’t be confident to book myself.”

The full Solo Travel Trends Report published by Solo Traveler and Just You includes an analysis of the responses to many more questions and is available by request below.

The Solo Travel Two Ways” Tour
With the information gathered from the survey and 10 years experience traveling solo, Janice Waugh, publisher of Solo Traveler, will share her knowledge and expertise on a 5-city speaking tour. Talking on “Solo Travel Two Ways,” Waugh will provide tips, advice, and anecdotes about traveling solo independently and on organized tours. Cities on the tour, thanks to the sponsorship of Just You, include Toronto (November 12), Kitchener (November 13), London (November 17), Burlington (November 19), and Ottawa (November 20). At date of publication Toronto and Ottawa were sold out.

*Statistics on the solo travel market:

  • Roughly one in four people say they will travel solo in the next year (2018) – and that’s on the rise, according to a survey of 2,300 people by marketing firm MMGY Global. Source
  • Searches for “solo female travel” grew by 52% between 2016 and 2017. Source
  • 40% of global Baby Boomers having taken a solo trip in the last year, and a further 21% are planning to take one in the future. Source
  • Between August 2015 and August 2017, the number of searches on Google for solo travel grew by 58%. Source
  • The current western proportions of single-person households (e.g. 31 percent in the UK) are wholly unprecedented historically, even reaching to 60 percent or more of households in some modern European and North American cities. Source
  • 17% will try solo travel for the first time in 2016 according to a survey of more than 44,000 travelers by online travel company TripAdvisor. Source
  • Between 2013 and 2015 the percentage of people polled who travel on their own grew from 15% to 24% according to the Visa Global Travel Intentions Study 2015. Source
  • A 2014 Booking.com survey resulted in a Solo Travel Report that revealed 72 Percent of American Women are Taking Solo Journeys Empowered by Social Media. Source
  • 54% of travelers considered affluent by a MMGY Global study are women. Source
  • 65% of US women polled by Booking.com have vacationed without their partners. Source

For further information or to request a copy of the Solo Travel Trends Report, contact:

Janice Waugh, Publisher, Solo Traveler
Janice@solotravelerworld.com

Nick Roberti, National Account Manager – Canada, Just You
Nick.Roberti@gtouring.ca

Solo Traveler, established in 2009, is the definitive resource and community for those who travel alone.  Over 300,000 travelers from 159 countries engage with the community every month. The publication founded the Solo Travel Awards in 2017 to recognize companies that are effectively catering to the solo travel market. The 2019 Awards will open in April.

Just You There are many reasons people choose to travel solo. For more than 10 years, Just You has created incredible adventures around the globe exclusively for solo travelers. We know that travelling solo is a liberating experience and we believe what makes your journey so memorable is the people you meet along the way. Just You gives you the freedom to explore, meet new people and see new places. Our tours aren’t just for single people, they’re for anyone who wants to travel solo. A Just You tour includes overseas transfers, accommodation in a room of your own, breakfast on all tours and amazing Tour Managers. We also include excursions to fascinating must-see sights as well as fabulous hidden gems, to ensure you enjoy the very best of a touring vacation.
Copyright © 2018 Solo Travel Awards, All rights reserved.
Maralyn
Author: Maralyn

Maralyn Dennis Hill, The Epicurean Explorer, is president emeritus of International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association, member of Society of American Travel Writers, and Society of Professional Journalists. She is Executive Editor of Luxe Beat Magazine and contributes to other publications. She also speaks and is a guest on many shows. The majority of Maralyn’s articles are now geared to the luxury market, spas, corporate retreats, business events, and culinary tourism, from simple to gourmet. Maralyn’s description of herself: I was born to travel and tell the tale. I’m energized by different cultures in every aspect of their lives, from food, wine, and destination, to how they conduct business. Travel represents a continual geography lesson.