Spain's Palma Majorca, Turkey's Antalya and Egypt's Hurghada made to the top three spots among holiday goers in May 2023
Booking engine Resfinity data suggests that although there has been a slight fall in bookings since the onset of the year, precisely, 15 pc compared to the unprecedented first quarter of 2023, the rise in solo travel appears to be driven by something else entirely, rather than just a return to business travel.
According to research commissioned by Norwegian Cruise Line, 31 pc of the British have already reserved a solitary vacation for 2023 while 37 pc of them prefer to travel alone.
As per Solo Traveler World, the percentage of Americans considering solo trips has skyrocketed to 25 pc in 2023, representing approximately 83 million people, compared to 16 pc in 2022.
Skyscanner’s data further solidifies the trend, revealing that 54 pc of travellers are contemplating solo journeys in 2023. Supporting this, the travel search engine Kayak reported a significant increase in searches for single-traveller flights, showing a 36 pc surge for 2023 compared to the previous year.
As solo travel grows in popularity, travel agents should pay attention and modify their services to better serve this market, offering options and bundles designed especially for single travellers, adds the statement.
While challenges such as inflationary pressures and rising prices persist, there is a clear opportunity for travel agents to tap into the growing market of solo travellers. By understanding and adapting to these evolving trends, travel retailers can unlock new avenues for success, says the statement.
Resfinity’s latest booking data consistently shows that dynamic duos and solo travellers remain the most popular. However, there has been a 5.5 pc increase in Solo bookings since April 2023. Despite this growth, single bookings are still approximately 11 pc lower than pre-pandemic levels. The numbers show that there is clear room for further growth, but what is unclear is if the return to business travel drives this trend or if more solo tourists seek individual adventure.
In May 2023, Anixe’s data revealed that global bookings maintained the same level as in April while remaining 22 pc higher than in May 2019. The German market also showed resilience, being 20 pc higher than pre-pandemic levels. Although the numbers were 15 pc lower than the phenomenal first quarter of 2023, the upcoming summer holiday season is on, and forecast is sunny with a chance of record-breaking bookings.
German tourists continued to be keen to travel and made their way to their chosen spots in May 2023, including Spain, Turkey, the United States, and local locations. Significant growth was seen in Greece, Turkey, and the Netherlands, with a staggering 70 pc increase from pre-pandemic levels. Greece likewise had a 40 pc month-over-month rise, says the data.
In May 2023, Spain’s Palma Majorca, Turkey’s Antalya and Egypt’s Hurghada made to the top three spots among holiday goers. However, Antalya’s appeal has waned somewhat, seeing a significant 12 pc drop in monthly popularity. In contrast, compared to pre-pandemic, both Hurghada and Antalya impressed with growth up 136 pc and 52 pc, respectively, compared to 2019 figures.
Short trips have always been popular, whether a 1-2 day adventure or a quiet week-long getaway. This sustained popularity continued in May, with demand for short trips fluctuating slightly. However, it was not enough to knock them off the top spots. Day trips still remain 20.5 pc below pre-pandemic levels, and 2-4 day trips remain at a modest 12 pc below, meaning that we expect to see further increases in popularity in the future.
