According to the latest Corbis Creative IQ report, solo travel is the latest trend—and not just for singles, who have historically held the “solo-cation” monopoly. Solo travelers now account for nearly a third (27%) of all vacationers.
People 18 to 35 years old still represent the largest group—35%—of single vacationers. However, solo travel is almost equally popular in other age groups, capturing 27% of 35- to 49-year-olds and 26% of the 50- to 64-year-olds. Members of the influential baby-boomer generation, who find themselves with time and disposable income, often choose to travel alone.
The travel industry has risen to meet this growing demand with a wide range of offerings that target the unaccompanied traveler. Popular solo-cation options include beach and spa getaways, adventure and other activity-based trips, cultural or educational tours and the increasingly popular voluntourism, the choice to spend one’s vacation in humanitarian pursuits, which has been gaining momentum since 2005.
The increased trend toward singlehood, which Corbis profiled last December, must also be fueling the solo travel craze. The U.S. singles population has grown from 38 million in the 1970s to nearly 90 million. In all parts of the world—notably throughout Europe and in China and Japan—people are choosing to marry later, divorce more frequently or remain single altogether.
Corbis says that images of adults relaxing on the beach, sampling local culinary treats, exploring new sights and venturing to remote locations are in high demand. While some of such imagery will be location-focused, the underlying themes are conceptual and include self-discovery, escape, learning new things, meeting new people—and, perhaps most importantly, experiencing solo travel as the ultimate form of personal freedom.
Corbis Creative IQ reports, which include example imagery, are available at the Creative Boutique section of the Corbis Web site.