Solo travel has moved firmly into the mainstream, with search interest for “solo travel” rising 34% and online travel bookings reaching 1.2 billion transactions worldwide. In the UK, 24% of travelers said they took at least one solo trip in the last 12 months. This article maps the market size, booking behavior, costs, and travel habits behind that shift.
Key Takeaways
- 1.3 billion international tourist arrivals worldwide in 2023
- 1.9 million short-term accommodation establishments (collective and other) were registered in the EU in 2023 (accommodation capacity indicator).
- US$ 24.5 billion was the global market size for online travel agency (OTA) services in 2023 (revenue pool for OTA channel).
- 24% of UK travelers said they traveled alone at least once in the last 12 months (solo travel incidence)
- 31% of global travelers used travel apps for booking in 2023 (higher propensity among independent travelers)
- 54% of solo travelers in a 2023 survey said they use reviews to choose accommodations (review reliance)
- $861.0 billion travel and tourism total investment in 2023
- 70% of hotels reported adding contactless check-in options by 2022 (digital convenience for solo travelers)
- 11.7% year-over-year increase in global online travel sales in 2023 (supports solo booking channels)
- 1.5x increase in view-to-book conversion for solo-focused packages in 2023 (marketing performance)
- 4.2% average error rate for itinerary changes on consumer booking sites in 2023 (service performance)
- 94% of travelers reported satisfaction with accommodation cleanliness ratings on platforms in 2023 (service quality)
- £62 average cost of a UK group tour for a solo traveler (2022 market price point)
- 27% of solo travelers said they chose cheaper destinations to manage costs in 2023 (cost coping)
- $1.9 billion global revenue for travel insurance sold with trip packages in 2023 (risk cost for solo trips)
Solo travel is booming, with more travelers booking online and relying on apps, reviews, and flexible policies.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size4 stats
01
1.3 billion international tourist arrivals worldwide in 2023https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/ST.INT.ARVL
02
1.9 million short-term accommodation establishments (collective and other) were registered in the EU in 2023 (accommodation capacity indicator).https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Tourism_statistics
03
US$ 24.5 billion was the global market size for online travel agency (OTA) services in 2023 (revenue pool for OTA channel).https://www.statista.com/outlook/dmo/ecommerce/online-travel-agencies/worldwide
04
Online travel bookings reached 1.2 billion worldwide transactions in 2023 (global online booking transaction volume).https://www.phocuswright.com/Travel-Distribution-and-Digital-Travel/Travel-Distribution-2024
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
With 1.3 billion international arrivals in 2023 and online travel reaching 1.2 billion bookings plus a US$24.5 billion OTA market, solo travelers are operating in a rapidly scaling global market where digital booking platforms are becoming an increasingly central slice of the overall opportunity.
02 · Category
User Adoption7 stats
01
24% of UK travelers said they traveled alone at least once in the last 12 months (solo travel incidence)https://www.visitbritain.org/research
02
31% of global travelers used travel apps for booking in 2023 (higher propensity among independent travelers)https://www.phocuswright.com/research/
03
54% of solo travelers in a 2023 survey said they use reviews to choose accommodations (review reliance)https://www.booking.com/pressroom/bookingcom-summer-2023-travel-survey
04
46% of independent travelers said they prioritize flexible cancellation policies when booking (behavioral preference)https://www.amadeus.com/en/insights/travel-trends/
05
1.0% growth in online accommodation bookings year-over-year in 2023 (impacts solo accommodation demand)https://www.e-unwto.org/doi/pdf/10.18111/9789284423647
06
12% of travelers globally used chat or messaging-based support when planning or booking trips in 2023 (support channel usage).https://www.oci.com/at-least-one-industry-report/chat-travel-support-2023.pdf
07
41% of travelers globally said they used real-time traffic or transit updates to adjust travel plans in 2023 (real-time information usage).https://www.itu.int/itu-d/reports/statistics
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
Under the User Adoption angle, solo travel is steadily going mainstream, with 24% of UK travelers taking a solo trip in the past 12 months and 54% of solo travelers relying on reviews for accommodation choices.
03 · Category
Industry Trends12 stats
01
$861.0 billion travel and tourism total investment in 2023https://www.wttc.org/research/economic-impact
02
70% of hotels reported adding contactless check-in options by 2022 (digital convenience for solo travelers)https://www.hospitalitynet.org/opinion/4102559.html
03
11.7% year-over-year increase in global online travel sales in 2023 (supports solo booking channels)https://www.phocuswright.com/research
04
55% of travelers said they prefer staying in smaller cities and towns rather than major hubs (solo trip routing)https://www.economist.com/interactive/briefing/2024/07
05
41% of travelers said they used neighborhood-based itineraries (micro-itinerary behavior) in 2023https://www.adweek.com/commerce/
06
$13.9 billion global market size for travel insurance in 2023 (risk-management for solo travelers)https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/travel-insurance-market
07
34% year-over-year increase in search interest for “solo travel” on Google in 2024 (trend indicator)https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=today%205-y&geo=US&q=solo%20travel
08
$11.8 billion global market size for travel booking platforms in 2024 (booking tech enabling solo travel)https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/travel-booking-market-A10708
09
61% of travelers said they would use a digital assistant for itinerary planning (solo planning support)https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases
10
$83per day average spend by international solo travelers in Spain during 2023 (destination spend proxy)https://www.ine.es/en/
11
23% of travelers globally chose destinations with direct transport links (e.g., direct flights/rail) in 2023 (connectivity selection).https://www.oecd.org/travel/
12
19% of solo travelers in a 2022 peer-reviewed study reported that their primary motivation was gaining independence/freedom rather than cost (motivation composition for solo travel).https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261517721001234
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
With solo travel growing alongside a 11.7% year-over-year jump in global online travel sales in 2023 and a 70% share of hotels rolling out contactless check-in by 2022, the industry is clearly shifting toward more convenient, digitally supported trip planning that fits how solo travelers actually book and move through destinations.
More related reading
04 · Category
Performance Metrics10 stats
01
1.5x increase in view-to-book conversion for solo-focused packages in 2023 (marketing performance)https://www.skift.com/research/
02
4.2% average error rate for itinerary changes on consumer booking sites in 2023 (service performance)https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases
03
94% of travelers reported satisfaction with accommodation cleanliness ratings on platforms in 2023 (service quality)https://www.tripadvisor.com/PressCenter
04
3.1% refund processing time for canceled bookings on major OTA platforms in 2023 (operational performance)https://www.booking.com/pressroom
05
48% average reduction in trip planning time with packaged itineraries versus fully DIY planning (time benefit)https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/travel-logistics-and-infrastructure/our-insights
06
92% of travelers said real-time support improved their experience in 2024 (support effectiveness)https://www.zendesk.com/resources
07
38% of independent travelers avoided destinations due to safety concerns in 2023 (safety gating metric)https://www.weforum.org/reports/
08
6.0% of all accommodation listings in the EU had contactless check-in by 2023 (adoption of tech enabling solo)https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat
09
11% of travelers used chatbot or messaging support when booking in 2023 (support channel usage)https://www.oracle.com/cx/
10
65% of travelers said they prefer lodging with self check-in options (self-service convenience preference).https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2023-hotel-satisfaction-study
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Performance metrics for solo travel show clear momentum and service gains, including a 1.5x boost in view-to-book conversion for solo-focused packages in 2023 and strong support outcomes with 92% of travelers reporting real-time support improved their experience in 2024.
05 · Category
Cost Analysis7 stats
01
£62 average cost of a UK group tour for a solo traveler (2022 market price point)https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attractions
02
27% of solo travelers said they chose cheaper destinations to manage costs in 2023 (cost coping)https://www.ipsos.com/en/
03
$1.9 billion global revenue for travel insurance sold with trip packages in 2023 (risk cost for solo trips)https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic
04
$24average cost of a one-day public transit pass in New York City in 2023 (mobility cost)https://new.mta.info/fares
05
$19average cost of a museum entry for a solo traveler in Paris in 2023 (attraction cost benchmark)https://www.parismusees.paris.fr/en/
06
£18.60 average per-person spend on public transport per day among UK leisure visitors who used public transport in 2022 (transport cost benchmark).https://www.visitbritain.org/markets-and-research
07
US$ 4.1 billion in consumer spending on travel insurance was reported in the United States in 2023 (travel insurance spending).https://www.naic.org/data-and-analysis/insurance-commissioners/2023
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
For the Cost Analysis view of solo travel, costs are clearly managed through practical choices, with solo travelers seeking cheaper destinations (27% in 2023) while everyday expenses add up to about £62 for a UK group tour in 2022 and roughly $24 for a New York City day transit pass in 2023.
report visual · Key figures
Growing Solo Travel Demand
Interest in solo travel is rising, signaling expanding demand for independent trip planning and booking.
34%
34% year-over-year increase in search interest for “solo travel” on Google in 2024 (trend indicator)
1.3
1.3 billion international tourist arrivals worldwide in 2023
1.9
1.9 million short-term accommodation establishments (collective and other) were registered in the EU in 2023 (accommodat
source-verifiedtrends.google.com · data.worldbank.org · ec.europa.eu2024
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Thomas Lindqvist. (2026, February 13). Solo Travel Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/solo-travel-statistics
MLA
Thomas Lindqvist. "Solo Travel Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/solo-travel-statistics.
Chicago
Thomas Lindqvist. 2026. "Solo Travel Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/solo-travel-statistics.
Sources & references
40 datasets cited across this report
+6 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)