Welcome And Big Question

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Hi, and welcome to the Z Michelson Travel Podcast. This podcast is where we explore the travel industry through the voice of many independent travelers and also travel suppliers. I am your host, Z Michelson. And each episode we talk about destinations, we talk about trends, safety, and real experiences. And now there's something new on the horizon. Something that's shaping the world of the solo traveler. That's right. Solo traveler is no longer a niche, it's no longer unusual. And it's definitely no longer something people feel they have to explain. In fact, solo travel is now one of the fastest growing segments in the global tourism industry. Do you believe that? I couldn't believe it either. And I'm a travel advisor. But yes, it is the fastest growing segment in the tourism industry. And that growth is changing everything. Everything from how the hotels design their rooms to how the tours are sold to how destinations market themselves. It even includes the cruising industry. That's right. So today, what we're going to do is we're going to answer one big question. What's that question? Well, why is solo traveling growing so fast? What does that mean for the travelers and for the travel industry as a whole? Well, whether you already travel solo or you're thinking about your first independent trip, because I know a lot of people think about it, but they're kind of a little scared or skeptical of doing it. Or maybe perhaps you work in the travel industry. This episode will give you a clear picture of why solo travel isn't just a trend. It really is the future. Now, me as a travel advisor, I do go on mini trips by myself. But then again, I run into a lot of travel advisors doing pretty much the same thing. So now we're looking at the solo traveler. So why is the solo traveler on the rise? Well, for decades, the travel industry was designed almost entirely around couples, families. You heard me talking about families, you heard me talk about groups, and of course, generations of families going, you know, mom, grandma, the kids. They want to share the travel experience. And the solo travelers were always an afterthought. Yeah, they were an afterthought. So they had single supplements, they had limited room options. They even had higher prices. If you were traveling single, you would think, oh, I'm only by myself. It'll be cheaper. Well, it wasn't. And sometimes the subtle feeling that the travel was simply built for one person, it wasn't. But that model no longer fits how people live today. More and more people are single later in life. That's right. More people are divorced or even widowed. More people are financially independent. And more people are unwilling to wait for someone else's schedule, budget, or comfort level before experiencing the world. That's right. Sometimes you have a friend that doesn't want to travel and you do. Or sometimes your friend is still working and you're not, you're retired. So you don't want to wait anymore. So what happened? What caused this major push or change? All of a sudden, we had a little thing called the pandemic. Yep. All travel stopped. Plans were canceled. Time felt very, very uncertain. Particularly for travel advisors. They didn't know what was going to happen. And when the world reopened, something shifted. Many people, a lot of people out there, kept thinking, if I keep waiting for someone else, I might not go. And they miss an opportunity. Solo travel became less about loneliness and more about reclaiming time, freedom, and more. And then you add to that the social media, the blogs, the podcasts, like the one you're listening to, and online communities openly celebrating solo travel. And suddenly traveling alone didn't feel strange anymore. It felt smart. It was the smart way to do it if you didn't want to wait around anymore. So who really is the solo traveler? Well, one of the biggest myths about solo travel is that it's dominated by the young backpackers. And we've always seen that. But while younger travelers absolutely play a role, the fastest growth is happening elsewhere. Now get this. It's happening among women over 35, among empty nesters, among retirees. It's also among professionals taking short solo getaways. You know, they just have to get away from the office for a few days and get, you know, relax and rejuvenate. And also first-time international travelers. Yeah. Even the international travelers are going solo. Some people don't want to go over the pond into Europe. But some do. And you know something? Solo travelers really aren't trying to avoid people. They're just trying to avoid compromise. They want to choose their destinations. They want to set their own pace. They want to spend money where it matters to them. They want to rest when they want to. They want to explore more deeply what they want. And not just socially. What's another important shift? Well, solo travelers today don't necessarily want to be alone all the time, they want independence with optional connections. And that desire is reshaping how trips are designed. So it's coming a long way. So how is the travel industry responding to the needs of the solo traveler? So for a long time, the industry resisted adapting. Yeah, they did resist. But now it's catching up and it's catching up quickly. Let's start with hotels. Let's take a look at the hotels. Hotels are rethinking room layouts, offering single occupancy rooms, and creating social spaces that feel welcoming but not forced. Tour operators are reducing or even eliminating single supplements. What is a single supplement? A lot of people ask me. Well, say you're traveling, you're on a cruise line, and it always says per person based on double occupancy. You see that also in hotels based on double occupancy. So if it's$100 per person, that means it's$200 because there's two people. However, you figure you only have to pay once. But what was happening was you'd have to pay for yours and then a large percentage towards that double occupancy. So that was, you know, not a great thing. So everybody's rethinking it. They're offering single occupancy price points now, and they're creating social spaces that are feeling welcomed, welcoming these people in, but not forced. So in other words, if you don't want to sit and mingle with other single supplement people or singles, you don't have to. Now, the tour operators are also reducing or eliminating single supplements. That's great. If they can eliminate the single supplement, that is fabulous. They're designing small group trips specifically for solo travelers, particularly women. And it's built in flexibility and free time. I know a lot of people when they're traveling, they do like some free time built in because they don't want to always keep running, running, running. They want that free time. So they're making it flexible and they're adding the free time in. And it's also geared towards women travelers that are traveling solo. Now let's talk about cruises. You know I love to cruise. Tour operators are reducing or eliminating. Let's talk about cruise lines. Now you know I love to cruise. Cruise lines were once notoriously unfriendly to solo travelers, and now are introducing solo cabins, lounges, and hosted meetups for people that are traveling by themselves. That's kind of nice. You know, I remember years ago, you used to see, you watched the show like the Love Boat, you always saw, you know, two people got thrown into one room together because they were traveling by themselves. So they'd have to room up or become roommates. You don't always want that if you don't know that person. But the cruise lines are scheduling these. They're doing solo travelers, they're doing solo cabins. Now I've toured some of these ships and I've seen some of these solo cabins, and they are beautiful. I was surprised. The bathrooms were large in size, plenty of room in the cabin, and it was all for you. You didn't have, you know, a double occupancy situation. So why are they doing this? Well, because solo travelers are loyal and they're repeat customers. What travel company doesn't want a repeat customer? And again, with solo travelers, when they start traveling, they really travel. Even the destination themselves are adapting as well. They're now marketing highlights the walkability, the safety issues, the public transportation, ease of navigation, things that really, really matter to solo travelers. So they're serving solo travelers well, and it's no longer optional. It's just smart business. So women are driving the solo traveler. Yep. Women are one of the most powerful forces behind the rise of solo travel. That's right. Women. But if you think about it, aren't the women really the ones behind a lot of the purchases that have been made? Husband and wife go to buy a car. Guess what? Wife wants one type of car. Husband and wife go house hunting. And guess what? There's the wife again. So technically, the women have the powerful voice. Women today are traveling alone after divorces, a loss, a career milestone. And even when children are leaving the home. And it's simply because they want to travel. You know, they've waited a long time and they want to go now. They want to travel. Something else women do, they research everything deeply. They also prioritize safety and they value experiences over status. And they are intentional with their spending. So they know what they want to spend and they keep it within their budgets, and they just go and they travel. Now the industry has taken notice of this. So there are women-only tours, there are female-focused accommodations, and safety forward messaging. The message is clear. Women traveling alone are not a risk, they are a market. So, what does the future look like for tourism in the solo market? Well, there's going to be more personalization. There's going to be a lot more flexibility, less couple-centric design, more acknowledgement that travelers come in many forms. Solo travelers influence trends. That's right. They influence the trends faster than any other segment. Why? Well, because they travel more frequently. Because they know what they want, they know where they want to go, they've done the research and they're heading out. So they travel more frequently, they try new destinations, and they share their experiences. Who wouldn't love that? The solo traveler gets behind their little Facebook posts or their Instagram posts and their showing, which means more solo travelers are going to say, Wow, that person went by themselves. So can I? This really is the best time in history to travel solo. Now, solo travel isn't about being alone, it's about choice. The choice to go, the choice to explore, the choice to experience the world on your own terms. Who doesn't want that? How many times do you go with a group of people and everybody wants to go one place and you don't want to go to that place? There goes your choice. So now if you went by yourself, you can go to that place. Now, if you've enjoyed this episode, subscribe to my podcast, Z Michelson Travel. That was easy enough, right? And remember, Z is spelled Z-E-E. You can leave me a review, you can share it with someone who's been waiting for the right time to travel, and you can also put in there a request for another topic you might like me to chat about. So again, until next time, you don't have to wait to see the world. You can travel by yourself. Take it from me. I travel solo. I'm a travel advisor. And remember what I always say reach for those stars. And if you only get to the moon, at least you made the trip. Thanks for tuning in today. This is Z. Michelson.