With word on the runway from British Airways’ cabin crew that there had been a rise in the number of independent female passengers, the airline has released the Global Solo Travel Study into the who, what and why of the trend across the world, and to understand whichlocations are the most tempting for true escapism.
The BAGlobal Solo Travel Study of almost 9,00018-64-year olds across UK, US, France, India, Germany, Italy, Brazil and China found that over 50 per cent of women have taken a holiday by themselves, with75per cent of women planning a solo trip in the next few years.
Almost 47 percent of Indian women said that they have travelled alone, for atleast 2 – 5 times and 30 percent of Indian travellers intend to travel in the next 2-3 months. Maximum number of solo travellers in India are between the age of 18 – 25. According to the survey, Indian travellers hopped/skipped continents the most with 37 percent have travelled solo to Europe and 33 per cent exploring the UAE and Middle East
The British Airways Solo Travel Study also unpacked the reasons why passengers were choosing to head out alone. More than half of our global respondents (55 per cent) choose to travel alone due to the feeling of freedom and independence, being able to choose your destination, what you eat and what you do. Holidaymakers from India are the most open, with over 50 per cent also prioritising meeting new people and having unique experiences.
The most adventurous? Italy 63 per cent of women 18-65 have explored another country alone, followed by Germany at 60 per cent. The least inclined to venture overseas with only 16 per cent, were women from the US. However, this looks to change with 62 per cent currently planning their getaway in the next few years.