Table of Contents
Overview
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- Key issues covered in this report
- COVID-19: Market context (created 29 September 2020)
- Economic and other assumptions
- Products covered in this Report
Executive Summary
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- Impact of COVID-19 on solo holidays
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- Figure 1: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on solo holidays, 29 September 2020
- The market
- Solo trips account for an estimated 7% of all holidays
- Solo travel will face a slower recovery
- Long-term growth prospects are good
- Companies and brands
- The groups market is increasingly targeting the solo traveller, but the mainstream travel industry still lags behind
- COVID-19 touring trends
- Luxury for one
- The consumer
- Most solo travellers are ‘pure solos’ but one in six joins group holidays
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- Figure 2: Holiday companions in the past 5 years, July 2020
- Four in ten solo travellers just want to ‘do their own thing’ and not have to fit in with others
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- Figure 3: Reasons for solo travel, July 2020
- Decline of the city break during COVID-19 is likely to impact the solo travel market
- Solo travellers are drawn to special interest/activity holidays
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- Figure 4: Solo holiday types versus non-solo holiday types, July 2020
- Discovery (of self and destination) is a key characteristic of solo travel
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- Figure 5: Important factors for solo travellers versus non-solo travellers, July 2020
- Single supplement is still the biggest barrier
- Advice, support and social connection are areas of opportunity for travel & tourism brands
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- Figure 6: Interest in specialist advice/support for solo travellers, July 2020
Issues and Insights
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- COVID-19 will hit solo travel hard but there are also opportunities
- COVID-19 has intensified the rising trend of social isolation and this can help drive interest in group-based holidays in the future
- Solo ‘freedom’ breaks can enable singles (and those in couples) to celebrate their individual identity
The Market – Key Takeaways
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- Overseas holiday spend is expected not to fully recover from COVID-19 until 2025
- Domestic holiday spend expected to drop by almost half in 2020 despite summer ‘mini-staycation’
- 8 million solo holidays a year pre-COVID-19 but market trend had been flat
- Younger generation will help lead the recovery of solo travel
- Adventure tours are likely to recover faster than escorted touring
- Long-term opportunities in older singles segment
Market Size and Forecast
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- Solo travel will face a slower recovery
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- Figure 7: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on solo holidays, 29 September 2020
- Overall holiday market
- Overseas trips expected to be down 75% in 2020 with a tough winter ahead
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- Figure 8: Forecast volume and value* of overseas holidays taken by UK residents, 2015-25 (prepared on 1 October 2020)**
- Domestic holidays saw a summer ‘mini-staycation’ spike but rising infections are likely to postpone recovery
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- Figure 9: Forecast volume and value* of domestic holidays taken by British residents, 2015-25 (prepared on 1 October 2020)**
- Solo travel accounts for an estimated 7% of all holidays
- Cautious older solos will delay recovery
- COVID-19 recession could affect demand amongst single consumers
- Couples are likely to de-prioritise ‘extra’ solo breaks…
- But offer possible opportunities…
- Millennial solos can help to boost recovery in group adventure travel
- A long-lasting ‘COVID-19/Brexit recession’ could create another solo staycation trend
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- Figure 10: Expenditure on overseas and domestic holidays taken by adult singles*, 2005-10
- Long-term demographic & cultural factors favour solo travel growth…
- …But the higher costs of solo travel remain a consumer barrier
- Market drivers and assumptions
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- Figure 11: Key drivers affecting Mintel’s total holiday market forecast, 2015-25 (prepared on 1 October 2020)
- Forecast methodology
Market Drivers
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- Whilst marriage has remained static, cohabitation and divorce have seen large increases
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- Figure 12: Marital status of population aged 16+, England and Wales, 2002-19
- Almost four in ten adults do not live as part of a couple
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- Figure 13: Living arrangements of population aged 16+, England and Wales, 2002-19
- The over-50s singles population is growing fast
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- Figure 14: Those not living in a couple aged 16+, by age, England and Wales, 2002-19
- Single-living is expected to rise twice as fast as other arrangements over the next two decades
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- Figure 15: One-person households, by age, UK, 2007-19
- Social isolation trend has been intensified by COVID-19…
- …Likely to stimulate future demand for ‘social travel’ amongst singles
- Self-partnered breaks, solo-moons and consciously-uncoupled holidays
- Freedom travel, divorce holidays and female adventurers
- Single-living premium is a barrier to solo travel growth
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- Figure 16: Financial situation, by marital status and for single-person households, July 2020
Companies and Brands – Key Takeaways
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- Group touring & adventure brands see growing opportunities in solo market despite COVID-19 impact
- Pre-COVID-19 touring & adventure trends
- High-spending single professionals driving new solo luxury trend
- Decline of the student backpacker and rise of the young professional flashpacker
Solo Holiday Companies
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- Few mainstream travel companies specifically target solos
- Groups sector continues to take the lead
- Key trends in group holidays sector
- Saga Holidays
- Singles holiday specialists
- Escorted tour operators
- Adventure operators
- Special interest group holidays
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- Figure 17: Latest reported turnover of selected tour operators of relevance to the solo holiday market
- Touring & adventure intermediaries attracting a high proportion of solo travellers
- TourHound
- Responsible Travel
- Not In The Guidebooks
- Cactus Language
Launch Activity and Innovation
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- Most group operators have suspended tours until 2021…
- …But some have re-launched limited programmes for solos and others
- Escorted tour brands are developing new solo-only products
- Solo luxury
- Divorce holidays
- Demise of STA and launch of Syte points to changing nature of youth travel
The Consumer – Key Takeaways
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- Group holidays are badly impacted by COVID-19 but Millennial solos could help lead recovery
- Solo travel – a static market but a lucrative and under-served opportunity
- Exploring cities, activity, learning & self-actualisation are key solo travel values
- Solo travellers are self-oriented but more social than those in ‘bubbles’
- Single supplement will remain the biggest post-COVID barrier to solo travel
- Tools and services to support the solo traveller
Impact of COVID-19 on Holiday Booking and Intentions
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- Holiday booking plans fell again in August/September after signs of recovery
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- Figure 18: Holiday booking and intentions, August 2019-September 2020
The Solo Traveller
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- One in seven adults takes solo holidays
- Solo crossover
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- Figure 19: Holiday companions in the past 5 years, July 2020
- Pure solo has a male bias, ‘group solo’ has a female bias
- Two thirds of solo travellers are single
- Financial situation is more polarised for solo travellers
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- Figure 20: Solo traveller versus non-solo traveller demographic profiles, July 2020
Reasons for Solo Travel
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- Self-oriented reasons versus lack of companions
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- Figure 21: Reasons for solo travel, July 2020
Solo Holiday Destinations
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- Solo travellers are more likely to go long-haul
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- Figure 22: Solo travel destinations versus non-solo travel destinations, July 2020
Solo Holiday Types
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- Solo travellers are far less beach-focussed
- Solos and the city
- Solo hobbyists
- 15% of solo travellers take escorted tours
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- Figure 23: Solo holiday types versus non-solo holiday types, July 2020
Solo Traveller Values
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- Active discoverers
- A third of solo travellers are seeking ways of meeting new people on holiday
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- Figure 24: Important factors for solo travellers versus non-solo travellers, July 2020
Solo Holiday Frequency
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- Occasional, Regular & Serious Solos
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- Figure 25: Frequency of solo travel, July 2020
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- Figure 26: Solo travel destinations by frequency of travel, July 2020
- Touring, adventure & cruises are especially popular amongst Serious Solos
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- Figure 27: Solo holiday types by frequency of travel, July 2020
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- Figure 28: Important solo holiday factors by frequency of travel, July 2020
Solo Holidays – Future Intentions
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- 37% of solo travellers are happy to go alone as soon as travel restrictions are lifted…
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- Figure 29: Willingness to take solo holidays, July 2020
- …But solo travellers are more hesitant about resuming their trips than other holidaymakers
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- Figure 30: When consumers would consider holiday activities, by destination, accommodation and holiday types, June 2020
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- Figure 31: Interest in travel party after travel restrictions are lifted, May 2020
- Male solos are keener to resume travel than females
- Solo travellers over 55 are the most risk-averse
- Millennial solos are the most likely to join a group holiday at the moment
- Group adventure likely to recover faster than escorted tours
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- Figure 32: Interest in taking group holidays as a solo traveller, July 2020
Solo Traveller – Preferences & Opportunities
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- Single supplement still the biggest barrier post-COVID…
- …Particularly in the older solos market
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- Figure 33: Interest in having rooms with no single-person supplement charge, July 2020
- Solo travellers seek support from travel brands
- Four in ten female solos would like specialist advice & support
- Solo travel can be an area of expertise for agents in the post-COVID-19 world
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- Figure 34: Interest in specialist advice/support for solo travellers, July 2020
- Solos seeking connection
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- Figure 35: Interest in connecting with other solo travellers, July 2020
- High demand for solo-only group tours amongst female Boomers
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- Figure 36: Solo Holidays – CHAID – Tree output, July 2020
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
- CHAID analysis methodology
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- Figure 37: Solo Holidays – CHAID – Table output, July 2020
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