A survey of luxury travel clients has revealed that demand for solo travel is on the up, as travel bans begin to be relaxed around the world. Olivia Palamountain reports

Luxury small group tour specialist Cox & Kings has reported an increase in demand for solo travel. In an unexpected turn post-lockdown, research shows that travellers are itching to get out and see the world – regardless whether or not their friends and family would like to join them.

After conducting a survey of 2,588 clients of both Cox & Kings and Abercrombie & Kent in May, it was revealed that solo travel appeared among the top three types of trip consumers would like to book, highlighting travellers’ desire to explore the world – no matter what.

Cox & Kings solo travel tours include private rooms and no singles supplements to pay for the first three solo places booked on select departures of their most popular trips. These include Treasures of Peru, Majestic Russia, Exotic India and Panama and Costa Rica Experience.

Kerry Golds, managing director of Cox & Kings, says: “We have known for a long time that solo travellers don’t feel they’re well catered for by the travel industry – with high single supplements often quoted as an example of this.

“It’s why we have operated dedicated solo travel departures for over six years now. Now, with the introduction of our new no single supplement for the first three places booked, solo travellers are keen not to miss out – our recent launch to our database generated an 220 per cent uplift in inquiries for our 2021 programme from solo travellers and some tours have already sold out.”

As seen in Globetrender’s Future of Luxury Travel Forecast: 2020-2025, the definition of luxury travel is changing. This report highlights trips that offer life enhancement, inner transformation, cultural appreciation and physical graft that hold the most desire and social currency, with wealthy travellers becoming more intrepid, even going so far as to seek discomfort.

Is solo travel another manifestation of this trend? New platforms flying the flag for solo group travel include Flashpack, a company that creates adventures for like-minded solo travellers in their 30s and 40s.

Tours are designed to dig deep into the culture of each destination via local and unique experiences – think “the thrill of backpacking, elevated by boutique hotels and seamless itineraries”.

What’s coming next? Trend reports available to download HERE

Globetrender Future of Luxury Travel Forecast 2020-2025

Globetrender Gen Z Horizons 2020 report