Travel solo, like Kweku the traveller

In the world according to ME, Earth can be carved up into two categories of travelers:

 1) Someone [like me] who thrives on travelling solo as it provides more freedom to pick up-and-go at any given moment

 2) People who just cannot bear the prospect of travelling alone; having to sit at a hotel breakfast table alone – basically people who simply thrive off travelling in groups and with others.

Now I wouldn’t hesitate about having a drink on my own at the bar or having dinner in the hotel restaurant alone whilst someone very close to me would rather order room service than be seen eating alone. I find that incredibly weird!

As noted in Hotels Magazine: “In the age of mindfulness, many have embraced the meditative value of spending time alone and venturing out into the big wide world unencumbered, interacting and making friends to whatever degree suits. In an effort to make solo travelers feel comfortable, barriers between hotel staff and guests are being lowered, interior design choices made to evoke a sense of homeliness and an informal atmosphere cultivated. This, along with a less stark divide between guests and locals encourages a feeling of hotel community.”

An independent traveler can be described as a person who embarks on a trip by themselves whether it be for business or pleasure, wanting to see the world but have no one to travel with or simply put they want to do what they want, when they want without having to run it by anyone else.

My personal experiences as a solo traveler have been nothing short of marvelous and to be honest, I quite prefer this especially for business trips as I personally don’t enjoy travelling in a group unless it’s with my family – then I’m a happy family man! I’m more flexible during my business trips and can bob and weave easily should I wish for a meeting to run longer and freely, or take in some more me-time. Nevertheless, I appreciate that it might not be for everyone.

Of late, we’re experiencing a fundamental rise in solo travel and like any globetrotter; they have a bucket list of activities to do on their trips. Just because they’re travelling alone, it doesn’t mean that they necessarily want to do everything by themselves. Some travelers like meeting others while on their trips and while this can be tricky during the COVID era, the idea of meeting other individuals is enticing and often we see them signing up for group activities with tour groups or nearby attractions.

In seeing the uptake in travel preferences such as this, I ask myself “are hotels kitted out for people like me and how can they personalize solo travel to be pleasurable?” It is our responsibility as hoteliers to not only market our offering to these independent travelers but to also accommodate them to the best of our abilities from the moment a guest checks in up until departure.

How is the hotel industry and main market catering for solo travelers?

Yes, we see an increase in discount offers or tailored room packages for solo travelers, and easy cancellation opportunities to change and leave as they want but what else. What else can be done to flip the script on this once taboo element of the travel experience?