More women holidaying without families to ’embrace adventure’

More women are leaving their loved ones at home when they go on holiday so they can “explore on their own terms”, group tour operators reported.

Holiday companies said there has been a noticeable increase in demand from people – particularly women – travelling without family or friends because they do not want to wait for “dates or holiday dreams” to align.

Popular destinations for these holidaymakers range from Spain and Portugal to more far-flung locations such as Egypt, India and Uzbekistan.

Tour operator Jules Verne said solo travellers make up 46% of bookings for its trips departing next year, up from 40% in 2023.

Women represent nearly seven out of 10 (69%) of those customers.

Jules Verne managing director Debbie O’Neill insisted people’s reason for booking on their own “isn’t always about being alone” but “choosing how you want to experience the world”.

Speaking on the eve of UK travel trade organisation Abta’s annual convention in Majorca, Spain, she said: “Many of our travellers have families, partners and full social lives – but they also value the freedom to explore on their own terms.

“Joining a small group tour gives them the best of both worlds: the joy of shared moments and the space to follow their own curiosity.”

Ms O’Neill added that for some people, going on holiday without anyone they know is a “quiet act of courage” as it represents an opportunity to “embrace adventure” and “discover something new within themselves”.

Another group tour operator, Explore Worldwide, said it has also seen a marked uptick in holidaymakers setting off on their own, with a 22% spike in such bookings for trips departing this year compared with the same point in 2023.

It said September and October are the most popular departure months for people holidaying without loved ones, as it enables them to take advantage of lower prices outside the peak summer months.

Explore Worldwide managing director Michael Edwards said: “Solo travel is a definite, growing trend.

“Two-thirds of people in an average group are travelling solo.

“People are less inclined to wait for friends or families to have aligned dates or holiday dreams, and more inclined to seize the day and just go for it.”

Explore Worldwide’s research found many solo travellers think their holidays result in them being more confident, feeling empowered and rediscovering a love for travel.

Travel agency Barrhead Travel said one-person bookings for river cruises and touring/adventure holidays are up 31% and 20% respectively this year compared with 2024.

Managing director Nicki Tempest-Mitchell claimed there is a “common misconception” that solo travel is only for singles.

She said: “It’s actually quite common to see people taking a trip for themselves without their partners or families because perhaps it’s something that they’ve always wanted to do.

“Women in particular are a growing market for solo travel.

“Some of the drivers of this trend are the increase in options for group touring with like-minded individuals, as well as the world becoming more accessible.”

Advantage Travel Partnership, a network of independent travel agents, said its members have recorded a “double-digit” increase in solo bookings in 2025 compared with last year.

Chief executive Julia Lo Bue-Said told the PA news agency: “We are seeing more and more people who are comfortable in the decision to travel in a group but on their own, not with families.

“That’s certainly seen an increase in this last 12 months.

“There are more products coming out for that market.”