Recession increases demand for solo holidays

More people are choosing to travel alone as friends and family struggle to fund holidays, a new survey revealed this week.

Nearly 15 per cent of holidaymakers took 'solidays' in the past year due friends and family being unable to fund travel plans as a result of the recession, website ebookers.com said.

Out of the 4,000 adults polled, 14 per cent said they chose to travel alone due to the increased choice of solidays available, while 33 per cent said they wanted to try solo travel as an alternative to the more traditional package holiday.

There was disparity between the sexes, with 22 per cent of men prepared to travel alone, compared to 11 per cent of women. Solidays were most popular with the 18-25 age group, with 51 per cent of this group admitting to travelling alone over the past year.

The most popular locations for solo travel included Europe (34 per cent), India (14 per cent) and Africa (11 per cent).

Ben Reynolds, Head of Marketing for ebookers.com, said: “The recession is changing the way we travel, with people looking at new ways to ensure they can still jet off on a break this year. The soliday seems to be emerging as a trend for people who can still afford a break."