We often talk about having travel buddies, but how many of us actually prefer travelling solo?
A recent study by YouGov, commissioned by Klook, found that the trends are changing, and an increasing number of people are embracing solo travel regardless of their age, gender, or nationality.
Out of the 21,000 respondents across 16 markets, it was shown that 76% of them either travelled on their own or are thinking about it while 69% of local respondents said the same.
Drawing up a comparison, 74% of Gen Z (18 to 24-year-olds) respondents have already travelled alone while 67% of Millennials (25-39) said the same or want to plan a solo trip.
The findings also showed that older generations shared the same sentiments. Around 67% of Gen X (40-54-year-olds) and 63% of Baby Boomers (55+) expressed interest in solo travelling. When it came to genders, there wasn’t much difference between the figures as well, with 66% women and 73% men who said they had already travelled alone or wanted to experience it.
So what do you aim to do when travelling alone? These are the top five must-do’s on Malaysians’ list:
70% of respondents said it’s a must to join the local attractions
62% want to try out new and local cuisines whenever they visit a new destination
45% of respondents said they wanted to take Instagram worthy photos (Malaysia is one of the top 3 countries in this segment)
35% of respondents wanted to just wander around and do nothing to relax
31% of respondents said they would take the chance to meet old and make new friends
What holds people back from travelling alone though? While a fair number expressed the fear of loneliness as the biggest obstacle, 61% said they were mostly concerned about safety. Fair reason, we think - there have been many worrying cases involving solo travellers. At the same time, 34% of respondents said they relied on their travel partners to help them plan and book logistics for the trip.
“It is an exciting time to see that 69% of Malaysian respondents have such a strong desire for solo travel. However, we also discovered that safety and the fear of loneliness are the main hurdles that have been holding them back, resulting in a love-hate relationship with solo travel. Malaysians can navigate their way to quality ‘me-time’ on Klook, with more than 100,000 verified activities and services available globally. From spending an evening painting alone in Kuala Lumpur to joining a group snorkelling day trip at Mengalum Island in Sabah, we hope to inspire more Malaysians to step out of their comfort zone and plan a rewarding solo trip,” said ,” Emily Tan, Marketing Lead of Klook Malaysia.
Beginning today until 31 December 2019, Malaysians who want to plan a solo trip can enjoy discounts of up to RM350 site-wide! Meanwhile, new Klook users will get 20% off for their first purchase. Suddenly we wanna travel too! Check out https://bit.ly/2C3vvma for more details.
So will you be taking a solo trip?
By: Celestine Foo
