Solo travel has become popular. But contrary to what you might think, solo travelers are prioritizing safety less now than they did before the pandemic.
Instead, comfort is the top priority when traveling alone. This is shown by online travel company Travellink in a survey of 1,000 Swedes*, where responses from 2019 were compared with 2023.
So, what do you think is important if you choose to travel on your own? One in four Swedes (26%) say that safety is the most important thing to consider when traveling solo and they would like to have emergency contact numbers, a first aid kit and a money belt with them. Before the pandemic, this was important for 35 percent. Now, comfort is considered most important. 29 percent say this, compared to just 14 percent in 2019**. Planning the trip, buying tickets in advance and downloading travel apps and maps is still important for one in four Swedes.
The biggest reason why many people consider traveling solo is that you have complete control over what you want to do. Half of all Swedes state this as the biggest motivation for traveling solo, which is the highest figure among all European countries that participated in the survey. Getting to know yourself better is stated by one in three Swedes (34%) as the biggest reason, followed by wanting to test things out (31%) or meeting new people (29%).
When it comes to going on a solo holiday, the main attractions are the beach and relaxation. 59 percent would choose it, which is the highest figure among the countries that participated in the survey. 35 percent would choose an adventure or training trip and 31 percent a cultural trip. Before the pandemic, volunteer trips were popular. Back then, one in four Swedes could imagine it, compared to just under one in five today. More women (23%) than men (15%) are interested in this travel option.
According to the survey, almost half (48%) believe that 18-34 years old is the perfect age to travel solo. The older you get, the fewer people think that traveling solo is a good way to travel.
This is where Swedes prefer to travel if they are traveling solo:
Total Women Men
Solresa 59 percent 65 percent 53 percent
Adventure/training trip 35 percent 26 percent 44 percent
Cultural trip 31 percent 33 percent 30 percent
Volunteer trip 19 percent 23 percent 15 percent
About the survey
*An independent survey has been conducted by the research company OnePoll on behalf of eDreams ODIGEO, which includes Travellink, from June 27 to July 5, 2023. 1,000 Swedes and a total of 10,000 respondents from 8 countries have responded to the survey.
** The same survey as above was conducted in December 2019.
According to a press release.
