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Solo travelers being wooed by agents, operators, cruise lines
When tour operator Abercrombie & Kent last year launched a dedicated solo travel division that waived or greatly reduced supplements and fees for solo travelers, the company saw a somewhat surprising result: a 26% increase in the niche market.
"For these and many other reasons, solo travel has become a growing niche over the past few years, and agents, tour operators and cruise lines are adjusting the way they do business in order to accommodate the new trend and the new travelers," writes Travel Agent Central.
Recent polls are showing a trend towards younger people tending to stay alone and not marry. So it’s no surprise that sites have cropped up to mainly cater to solo travelers
"Traveling is one of the most rewarding experiences one can have, and sometimes going solo is the way to do it," advertises SoloMate Travel. "CNN and other leading experts showcased this philosophy regarding happiness, and our team strongly supports this outlook."
The website adds:
"Maybe you’re looking into a solo trip with the hopes of finding your soul mate. Or maybe you need to leave the children at home with your spouse and take a much-needed break for yourself. Whatever the case may be, traveling solo gives you the freedom to do whatever you want, whenever you want to do it."
Who are those solo travelers?
The answer is often women.
Widows and divorcees, too, says travel consultant Mindy Vanderhoof. "The increase in solo travel is basically female," she said.
Other travel agents and operators agree, though they say there’s no particular age limit or demographic.
The variety of what solo travelers want is comparable to couples, say travel observers.
While hotels generally don’t charge single supplements the way tour operators or cruise ships do (the room costs the same whether one person or four is staying there), some hotels are taking steps to cater to solo travelers.
A major hurdle facing solo travelers and their agents is the dreaded single supplement. That can increase the cost of a trip by 100 percent or even more. Some tour operators and cruise lines have adopted new policies to avoid the issue. The answer is sometimes to match up a solo traveler with someone else.
By David Wilkening
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