The pandemic is fuelling the trend for solo travellers in Spain
17 August, 2022Travelling alone to meet people is no longer just a fad. This style of travelling become popular a few years ago, and the trend is showing no signs of stopping. The underlying drivers are diverse, but the market has responded by offering more affordable prices for accommodation and transport to a tourist group who were previously overlooked.
The post-pandemic effect has also had an impact, which can be seen in figures: while in 2019 48% of visitors were solo travellers, by 2021 this had risen to 61%. After months cooped up at home with family, flatmates or simply isolated alone, many travellers are now opting to escape to places where there’s nature, fresh air or simply new people to meet.
One of the key factor undoubtedly consolidating the solo travel sector is the socio-cultural change that’s taken place over the last few years, which prioritises experiences over material goods. Today, the vast majority of Europeans prefer to escape on a getaway and enjoy unique experiences rather than buy a car or a place on the beach.
Another change is the frequency with which they travel: “whereas before the pandemic they used to make one trip a year, nowadays they make between two and three trips a year”, noted Rafa Serra, founder of Gruppit.