Going It Alone: Australians Reaping The Rewards Of Solo Travel

AMSTERDAM – April 28^th 2014 - Booking.com, the world’s number one accommodation site has unveiled its first Solo Travel Report. The independent research spanning five countries revealed two thirds of Australian women have discovered the freedom to completely be themselves by travelling the world on their own and taking advantage of unique destinations for inspiration and self-discovery. The report concluded the trend is set to grow with 60 per cent of female solo travel enthusiasts planning to do so again in the next 12 months. 

According to Booking.com insights, these female solo travellers are seizing the opportunity to truly unwind and relax (30 per cent) through solo getaways, with 70 per cent feeling more energised and refreshed than when vacationing with friends, their families or even their partners. 

Brooke Campbell, co-founder of Australian lifestyle blog Show+Tell, agrees with the female majority and enjoys taking to the road alone.

“Travelling by yourself is no longer taboo, or even scary for that matter; it's trendy to go alone out of choice. A trip with me-myself-and-I can be a liberating experience. There’s a certain sense of empowerment that comes with travelling solo – you try new things and often feel unstoppable.

“We lead such busy lives; the best thing about flying solo is you can completely switch off and recharge the batteries without interruption and without guilt,” she said.

The report revealed that all Aussie travellers –both men and women- are reaping the rewards of a ‘me’-time vacation, topping the polls globally when it comes to feeling the most fulfilled from a solo trip. While women prefer to retreat to spas (28 per cent), the men of Australia seek coastal destinations or big cities (18 per cent and 15 per cent) and crave social interaction and freedom.

While the majority of Australian women and men travel alone to escape the normality of everyday life and relax, data collected from men suggest that they also value a sense of adventure. Twenty three per cent claim it’s the greatest benefit of lone travel, compared to just 12 per cent of women.

Paul Hennessy, CMO at Booking.com said, “Our research highlights that solitary exploration is becoming an empowering experience, rather than a daunting one – with 51 per cent of Australian women more likely to travel alone than they were five years ago. It’s also highlighted the innately adventurous nature of Australians, in wanting to be masters of their own itineraries.

“The Booking.com platform is committed to empowering all travellers with the ability to book with confidence anywhere in the world, regardless of their motivation for a solo getaway,” he said.

The report also found social media and digital technology helps give women the confidence and connectivity needed to enjoy travelling solo, with 66 per cent stating that it made them feel safer while away. Solo travelling females are more likely than their male counterparts to use social media to keep in touch with family and friends at home (71 per cent and 54 per cent respectively), update people on their whereabouts (51 per cent and 41 per cent) and use it to find places of interest to visit (50 per cent and 47 per cent).

With more than 25 different accommodation varieties and more than 450,000 properties in 200 countries, Booking.com has the best accommodation offering in the world. Women travelling alone can feel confident that they will get it right every time they book using the destination finder and more than 27 million verified customer reviews available on Booking.com.

‘Brianless’, the latest Booking.com TVC, celebrates the empowerment of the woman solo-traveller. The film tells the story of Jen, who loves her partner Brian, but doesn’t necessarily love the same type of holiday as he does. Created by Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam, ‘Brianless’ celebrates the empowerment of the woman solo-traveller. The TVC will air in Australia next month.

- ENDS -

Booking.com’s Solo Travel Report was a survey conducted by Vision Critical of men and women, 25-45, who have travelled in the last 12 months from the United Kingdom, USA, Canada, Australia and Germany, April 2014. There were 1,000 respondents from Australia.