Why you should travel solo this summer

When you think about booking a summer holiday, you might think of trips with partners, friends or family. The idea of going on holiday alone can be daunting, or even unappealing. It raises all kinds of questions – who will you talk to? Who will you eat with? Will you be safe?

There has long been a stigma against solo consumption^[1]. Societal norms encourage us to be with someone – leisure experiences are billed as something to share with others^[2]. There may also be a level of guilt or self-indulgence associated with solo travel, feeling as if you are shirking responsibility or abandoning time with family.

An increase in single-person households^[3], however, means the hospitality industry is now serving solo consumers in addition to families and couples. The continuously blurred line^[4] between work and play, particularly for Millennials and younger generations, makes it easier to work remotely or travel as part of our jobs. We are more transient than ever, and have more opportunities to work and travel alone without feeling completely disconnected from the rest of our lives.

This article is part of Quarter Life^[5], a series about issues affecting those of us in our twenties and thirties. From the challenges of beginning a career and taking care of our mental health, to the excitement of starting a family, adopting a pet or just making friends as an adult. The articles in this series explore the questions and bring answers as we navigate this turbulent period of life. You may be interested in: Working in the metaverse: what virtual office life could look like^[6] Love Island ditches fast fashion: how reality celebrities influence young shoppers’ habits^[7] Long social distancing: how young adults’ habits have changed since COVID^[8] In recent years, people have been increasingly^[9] travelling alone – including younger vacationers. They also share their experiences to a large audience on social media – the hashtag #SoloTravel has over 7 million posts associated with it on Instagram. Solo travellers are taking part in the growing solo economy^[10] – new products and services targeting the lone consumer. Hotels, cruises^[11], restaurants, tourism companies^[12] and festivals are showing how design, staff and technology can be tailored to accommodate – and even encourage – solo consumption in travel. Our research^[13] into the experience of solo consumers in coffee shops offers insight into how solo consumption can be as pleasurable and fulfilling as going with a partner or friend. Through freewriting^[14] exercises, these consumers shared their own experiences. Their words offer some reasons you should try it too. Be together, alone Our research participants highlighted key factors that help them enjoy their solo experience – high seats and window views allowing them to sit back and observe others’ lives without any direct interaction or connection. You don’t need to arrive with others to feel part of a social environment. Alone in a crowded square or on a busy beach, the proximity of other people and their conversations can be a source of comfort, distraction or even entertainment. The seat is important -– I like the window especially a stool and “shelf” table facing out … I see people, imagine their lives, see cars and life pass by. I watch other customers, I watch the street out the window, the cliché of “watching the world pass by”. The setting, context and environment of the café are important to that moment of pause. Take time for yourself Being alone can be a therapeutic experience^[15], a time to process thoughts, feelings and emotions and leave you ready to tackle the world again. Perhaps take time to write, draw or practice another creative activity in your own time. Bask in your own thoughts without feeling pressure to please anyone else or force a conversation. Sitting alone with my thoughts can be a comforting experience; picking a seat, getting comfy…I can find silence with my thoughts and don’t feel any pressure to act for anybody or involve myself in a conversation that doesn’t interest me.

References

1. ^{^} stigma against solo consumption (www.tandfonline.com)
2. ^{^} share with others (www.emerald.com)
3. ^{^} single-person households (www.euromonitor.com)
4. ^{^} blurred line (www.forbes.com)
5. ^{^} This article is part of Quarter Life (theconversation.com)
6. ^{^} Working in the metaverse: what virtual office life could look like (theconversation.com)
7. ^{^} Love Island ditches fast fashion: how reality celebrities influence young shoppers’ habits (theconversation.com)
8. ^{^} Long social distancing: how young adults’ habits have changed since COVID (theconversation.com)
9. ^{^} increasingly (www.telegraph.co.uk)
10. ^{^} solo economy (www.futuresplatform.com)
11. ^{^} cruises (www.ncl.com)
12. ^{^} companies (www.flashpack.com)
13. ^{^} Our research (journals.sagepub.com)
14. ^{^} freewriting (www.research.ucsb.edu)
15. ^{^} therapeutic experience (journals.sagepub.com)
16. ^{^} Rawpixel.com / Shutterstock (www.shutterstock.com)
17. ^{^} own way of doing things (www.sciencedirect.com)