London,
28
April
2014
|
15:00
Europe/Amsterdam

Holidays With Me, Myself And I Leads To A Self Esteem Boost For British Women

Findings from the Booking.com Solo Travel Report reveals that British women feel more confident when holidaying alone

  • Half of British women more likely to holiday alone than they were five years ago
  • 64% of women say they feel more confident when taking a trip by themselves
  • Female travellers claim social media empowers them to have a richer solo travel experience

LONDON – April 28th 2014 – With warmer weather on the horizon and thoughts finally turning to summer holidays, research from Booking.com has revealed more than half (54%) of British female solo travel enthusiasts are now more likely to holiday alone than they were five years ago. Whilst the natural assumption might be that they are looking for an escape from everyday life, these women actually claim they are actually more likely to embrace solo travel as a means to experience new cultures, with almost two thirds (64%) saying they actually feel more confident when taking a trip by themselves.

The poll of more than 1,000 British women highlighted how they find solo travel more of an empowering experience than a daunting one, with two thirds (61%) saying they feel more energised and refreshed after taking a trip by themselves, than opposed to going away with others. An additional 64% claim they have more freedom to be themselves when travelling alone, with 47% saying it gives them a chance to be a bit more selfish and do exactly what they want to do. Booking.com is here to empower these travellers, solo or otherwise, and provide them with reassurance when it comes to planning, researching and booking accommodation.

Social media also appears to play a pivotal role when it comes to these women’s confidence in being able to go on holiday by herself. Nearly two-thirds (62%) keep in touch with friends and family back home whilst away, with three quarters also stating that social media allows them to unearth unusual places to go or find places to eat, thus fuelling their confidence to visit destinations on their own.

The trend looks set to continue, with over half (51%) of female solo travel fans saying they plan to do so again in the next 12 months.

“These days, so many more women have the resources and personal freedom to travel solo,” comments Maggie O’Sullivan, travel journalist and former travel editor at The Sunday Telegraph. “It’s a lot easier to go it alone now than it was even 25 years ago, with companies like Booking.com making it simple to find and book the best accommodation – crucial when you’re on your own. I think the real thrill for women travelling alone, though, is not discovering new places, or even having time to themselves, it’s that sense of being out in the world; of ‘if I can do this, I can do anything’. It’s the ultimate confidence boost.”

 “Our research suggests that the phenomenon of the female solo traveller is one that is here to stay. A third of British female travellers are looking for that freedom to set their own agenda, and to really find that boost in confidence that a solo break provides,” comments Paul Hennessy, CMO at Booking.com. “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.”

With more than 25 different accommodation varieties and over 450,000 properties in 200 countries, Booking.com has the best accommodation offering in the world, ensuring that women travelling alone can feel confident that they will get it right everytime they book a trip away.

‘Brianless’, the latest Booking.com TVC, celebrates the empowerment of the woman solo-traveler. 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. Will she miss him or will this be her vacation of a lifetime?

 ‘Brianless’ was created by Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam and will air across the UK and US, as well as on Booking.com’s YouTube channel, from Monday 28 April, 2014.

Click HERE to view and link to the ‘Brianless’ 30 second film.

-ENDS-

*Survey conducted by Vision Critical of men and women, 25-45, who have traveled in the last 12 months from the United Kingdom, April 2014

About Booking.com

Booking.com is the world leader in booking hotel and other accommodations online. It guarantees the best prices for any type of property – from small independents to five-star luxury. Guests can access the Booking.com website anytime, anywhere from their desktops, mobile phones and tablet devices, and they don’t pay booking fees – ever. The Booking.com website is available in 42 languages, offers more than 525,000 hotels and accommodations in 205 countries, features 33+ million reviews written by guests after their stay, and attracts online visitors from both leisure and business markets around the globe. With over 17 years of experience and a team of over 8,000 dedicated employees in 135+ offices worldwide, Booking.com operates its own in-house customer service team, which is available 24/7 to assist guests in their native languages and ensure an exceptional customer experience.

Established in 1996, Booking.com B.V. owns and operates Booking.com™, and is part of The Priceline Group (NASDAQ: PCLN). Follow us on TwitterGoogle+ and Pinterest, like us on Facebook, or learn more at http://www.booking.com.