The findings of a recent large-scale survey showed that solo travelers are undaunted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The results of its 8th annual reader survey have been released by Solo Traveler, a leading publication for those traveling on their own, collecting responses from nearly 3,000 readers who indicated that they are ready to hit the road, have the money to do so and are ready to return to both domestic and international travel.
"The response to this year's survey was overwhelming," said Janice Waugh, Solo Traveler's publisher. "We received more than double the responses compared to previous years with 80 percent of the respondents being women. This demonstrates a huge pent-up desire for travel."
With funding from Overseas Adventure Travel, a provider of solo trips, the survey was conducted.
Brian FitzGerald, CEO and president of Overseas Adventure Travel, said, "Solo travelers are by nature independent and bold, and that's reflected in their need to get back out into the world," "Solo travelers are also telling us how important it is to make travel sustainable and supportive of local communities. They don't simply want to see the world—they want to shape it too."
Because of the coronavirus, solo travelers should not hold back.
More than three-quarters (77%) of solo travelers are prepared to fly abroad as long as they do not have to go to their destination for quarantine. Sixty-one percent (61 percent) said that if a vaccine is available, they will fly internationally.
For several, now that travel is limited, the opportunity to travel has been reprioritized. The study showed that travel is going to have a higher priority than before.
Forty-six percent of solo travellers said they are going to fly more often and 25 percent are going to take longer trips. Sixteen percent said they're going to settle for greater comfort.
The majority of solo travelers showed that the means to fly were still available. Seventy-one percent (71 percent of respondents overall indicated that their financial ability to travel had no effect on the pandemic. A smaller percentage, 14%, said they had more currency, while a nearly equal amount (15%) said they had less.
The older solo travellers, those over 44 years of age, were in a better financial situation than the younger ones. However, 43 percent of respondents suggested that in their personal budgets they would set a new target for travel.
When international travel resumes, escorted tours will be popular. More than half (53 percent of respondents said that when they can fly abroad again they are likely to take escorted tours. This is three times the amount who are not likely to take a trip, according to Solo Traveler.
Forty percent said they would fly more deliberately and sustainably, preferring Europe and the UK. Twenty-six percent said further road trips would be taken.
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