Catching Flights and Feelings
The Solo Trend
Making meaningful travel connections
As dating habits shift and “catch-up friends” become a thing, more travelers are swapping swipes for real-world sparks – from meeting matches in faraway cities to dating overseas to finding a travel buddy on the road.
53% of travelers have gone, or considered going, overseas specifically to meet new people, e.g. for friendship or dating.
Hotel bookings using our “solo” filter jumped 83% globally YoY.1
1 in 2 people choose to travel not just to escape, but to reconnect.
“We believe that travel is one of the most powerful ways to create real human connections. Our latest research shows that 1 in 2 people choose to travel not just to escape, but to reconnect. In a time when loneliness is on the rise, sharing a journey can become an opportunity to build genuine friendships through shared experiences.”
Andrea D’Amico
CEO of international travel scale-up WeRoad
From cultural exchange to kindred spirits, travelers connect for depth, not just directions. Their top three reasons are to:
When we travel, we have distance from our typical role, more permission to be ourselves.
“When we leave the chores, deadlines, and demands at home, and combine this with the vacation mindset of spontaneity and freedom, feelings have space to flourish. When we travel, we have distance from our typical role, more permission to be ourselves, with the added bonus of being less known. Add in the natural curiosity and sense of adventure travel creates, and the openness and opportunity to connect to others, and it becomes something to embrace rather than fear.”
Lee Chambers
Travel Psychologist and Essentialise Founder
Trending
42% of people are more open to meeting others when they’re traveling, with 29% saying it’s because they feel freer to be themselves.
Conversation views about dating in travel subreddits have skyrocketed by 492% YoY.2
Travel conversation views in dating subreddits are growing YoY:
