Asian solo travellers are more likely to be younger – millennials (41%) and Generation Zers (38%) – while in the West, solo travel is more prevalent among baby boomers (39%) and Generation Xers (24%), one of the highlights of a recent study released by Agoda.
Agoda’s Solo Travel Trends 2018 survey, conducted by YouGov, found that solo travellers from the West are more likely than those in Asia to indulge in solo travel for longer periods, more often taking trips for four to seven nights (34%). In addition, Western solo travellers are twice as likely to go on trips of 14 nights or more (20% versus 10%).
Millennial and Generation Z Asian solo travellers tend to take shorter, one- to three-night solo trips (46%).
Relaxation and time to unwind is the number one motivator for solo leisure travel globally (61%), followed by getting away from routine (52%) and exploring new cultures (45%), the survey shows.
The study also found that solo leisure travellers spend more time in front of their laptops and phones than any other traveller type – two hours a day (119 minutes), which compares to 15% more time than when travellers are with friends (100 minutes) and 26% more time than if they are with family (86 minutes).
Asian solo travellers are the most digitally connected and are more than two times as likely to spend four or more hours a day in front of their screens than their Western peers (31% versus 12%).
Whether for business, leisure or bleisure, independent solo travellers are all heading to cosmopolitan cities.
According to Agoda’s booking data, Bangkok is the top destination for Asian solo travellers this year, while London is number one for Western solo travellers.
Tokyo is a popular choice for both Asian and Western travellers, hitting the top three for both groups.
