One of the fastest growing sectors of travel, “solo travel” has seen searches on Google quadruple over the past five years, while the hashtag #solotravel is commonly seen on TikTok and Instagram.
Interestingly, it’s the younger market that is driving the trend. ABTA research revealed that 19% of 25-34-year-olds said they had travelled by themselves, the highest of any age group. However, the biggest year-on-year increase was among those aged 35-44, where solo travellers more than doubled to 13% in 2023 from 6% in 2022, many of whom have chosen to join an organised tour as part of the trip, where they can travel safely with like-minded folk.
Unlike regular package holidays, escorted tours are curated and led by expert guides so clients can fully immerse themselves into local culture.
“We’ve just taken our solo offering to the next level with the launch of Solo-ish Adventures,” says Brian Young, Managing Director EMEA at G Adventures. “The team has drilled down into the mindset of solo travellers to create itineraries unlike anything else currently on offer.
“Fun-filled dinner parties and surprise experiences help bring the group closer together in the first few days of the tour, while respecting solo travellers’ desire for free time and space. With safety front of mind for many solo travellers, especially our solo female travellers, solo-ish trips go above and beyond to ensure people feel safe and supported so they can focus on exploring and making local connections to a country and its people.”
Safety in numbers
Escorted tours are an easy way to combine adventure, companionship and convenience, all of which increases the appeal for the younger market.
A recent survey by the Berlin-based GetYourGuide found that 70% of those asked, plan to book a guided tour in the next year, with millennials and Gen Z leading the way.
“Travelling solo doesn’t need to be a daunting prospect and by joining a group, it can be an exciting and liberating experience,” says George Colvin-Slee, Product Manager Europe & Central Asia at Cox & Kings. “Solo travellers now make up more than a quarter of Cox & Kings’ group tour clients. We see this increase is driven by a desire for personal growth and self-discovery with more and more people of all ages and backgrounds experiencing the rewards of a solo adventure.”
Solo travel has also been the strongest sector for TourRadar, the sustainable travel and adventure booking platform, who coined the term “organised adventures”.
According to founder Travis Pittman, TourRadar clients look for experiences that bring them closer to a destination. It’s not about ticking off 15 attractions in two or three days, they want a deep dive into the history and the culture, they want to eat where the locals eat, shop where they shop.
An escorted tour can also provide lone travellers with an additional level of security, particularly when you’re venturing further afield. “Joining a small group tour is the perfect solution for solo travellers who want peace of mind, knowing every detail is looked after, that safety is a priority,” says Young. “Travel agents have a huge opportunity to recognise these customers and help pave the way to a trip of a lifetime.”
A changing market
The escorted tour sector has transformed over the years. Not just reserved for silver travellers, operators now focus on smaller groups to create more intimate, relaxed experiences.
“Our new Small Group Discovery Tours are perfect for agents to sell to customers looking for the stress-free travel of touring but with a more intimate feel,” says Lesley Taylor, UK MD of the Globus family of brands. All itineraries have been designed for small groups, allowing for more freedom and more flexibility, plus each tour also includes Small Group Exclusives – special inclusions that are not accessible with full-sized groups.
Personalisation has also become more prevalent and clients can tailor itineraries to their own interests, choose optional excursions and factor in free time to explore independently.
“As guests are increasingly looking for immersive and transformative travel, escorted tours now include more than the usual well-trodden sites,” says Colvin-Slee at Cox & Kings. “For 2025, we’ve launched two new specialist led group-tours: Piedmont with Valentina Harris, which offers a culinary adventure, and Sicily: Normans in the South, which explores Sicily as a melting pot of cultures.”
Cutting the cost
For younger travellers, one of the main draws of an escorted tour is the cost. The rapid growth of the sector has made it competitive and you can find tours which cater for every budget. Many tours offer inclusive pricing by bundling activities, accommodation and meals into one package for better value for money. Clients can also avoid single supplements by choosing to buddy up with a same-sex traveller on the tour rather than book a single room.
Intrepid Travel have a Basix range designed for travellers of any age, but it largely appeals to the under 35s. Their trips include clean, centrally located accommodation, local transport and plenty of free time. At the other end of the scale, operators like Cox & Kings and Abercrombie & Kent offer luxury escorted tours with itineraries including South Africa and Australia.
“Group tours can be more cost-effective and often include unique and sharable moments, perfect for social media, making them more appealing to a younger audience,” says Colvin-Slee.
Whether you pitch them as escorted tours or organised adventures, group travel is going from strength to strength.
Where to book it
Clients can join like-minded travellers on Explore’s small group tours as a solo traveller, enjoying a balance of socialising and time to themselves on this best-selling Walking in Madeira trip. They can choose to share from £1,099 or opt for their own room from £1,414. (Based on current availability between June 28-July 5.)
