New research from ABTA shows an increase solo travel last year, with 16% of holidaymakers saying they went on a trip by themselves.

The figure, for the 12 months to August 2023, compares to 11% of solo travellers the previous year, and 13% in the 12 months to July 2019.

One in five (19%) 25-34-year-olds said they had travelled by themselves, the highest of any age group. But the biggest year-on-year increase was among those aged 35-44, where solo traveller numbers more than doubled to 13% in 2023 from just 6% in 2022.

Solo travel is one of the topics set to be discussed at ABTA’s Adventure Travel Conference on 18 April, which will be moderated by G Adventures Managing Director Brian Young.

ABTA Director of Communications Graeme Buck said: “Our research shows that people are increasingly looking for solo travel experiences, so we’re excited to explore why this style of travel is growing at our Adventure Travel Conference next month.

“As the fast-growing adventure travel sector represents so many business opportunities for our industry, the whole day is designed to ensure attendees have the necessary insight to connect with the adventure traveller so they can confidently deliver unforgettable experiences.”

Find out more about the conference here.