Solo travel is becoming a phenomenon of great value for the global travel market, with searches having increased by 230% in a decade and the American market on track to double by 2030.
Solo travel is on the rise globally, with solo travel now moving from a trend to a strong, growing, high-value market for tourism. According to recent market data, global searches for “solo travel” have increased by 230% in the last decade, with 1.6 million searches recorded globally in January 2026 alone.
According to data from Google Trends and Glimpse, interest in terms related to solo travel has been steadily increasing since 2004, with the only significant decline during the pandemic in 2020. This picture shows that solo travel is not a cyclical phenomenon, but a market that is maturing and gaining increasing weight in global tourism.
The momentum is particularly strong in the US , where the solo travel market was valued at $95 billion in 2024 and is projected to exceed $190 billion by 2030, according to Research and Markets. This is essentially a doubling of the market value in six years, which demonstrates the importance of this specific audience for hotels, travel agencies, tourist destinations and experience companies.
In the US, the most searches for solo travel were recorded in June 2025, while forecasts show that June 2026 will surpass last year’s record, with more than 8,000 monthly searches. The strongest interest is found in states such as North Dakota, Vermont and Arkansas.
At the same time, relevant searches show that the solo travel audience is not uniform. Terms like “solo travel tips,” “female solo travel,” and “group solo travel” reveal different needs and traveler profiles, from women traveling alone to travelers who want the independence of solo travel, but within an organized group context.
The trend is also confirmed by Go2Africa’s internal data, according to which solo travelers now constitute a growing share of the company’s customer base. Requests for individual travel increased from 13.07% in 2024 to 15.42% in 2025, while requests from couples, families and groups of friends declined slightly as a percentage during the same period.
The US is the largest source market for Go2Africa’s solo travelers, accounting for over 50% of solo travelers. Solo travel bookings from the US market increased by 26.26% from 2024 to 2025.
43% higher spending than couples
Even more interesting for the tourism industry is the spending profile of these travelers. According to data from Go2Africa, solo travelers spend an average of 42.8% more per person than couples . This makes them a particularly attractive audience, as they appear to be seeking higher quality, often higher value experiences, without being constrained by the needs or compromises of a second traveler.
In terms of trip length, 30.1% of solo travelers prefer trips of around 10 days, a duration that is also popular with couples, families and groups. However, solo travelers are more likely to choose either short trips of less than a week or longer vacations of more than two weeks.
The way they plan their trips is also a determining factor. In 2025, 81.18% of solo travelers already had a clear destination in mind before booking, a percentage increased compared to 72.83% in 2024. At the same time, the percentage of those who did research before booking increased from 7.16% in 2024 to 17.20% in 2025, recording an increase of 189.29%.
This behavior shows that solo travelers are among the most aware and research-oriented audiences in the market. In fact, they exhibit a higher rate of pre-trip research compared to couples, groups of friends, and families.
Source: tornosnews.gr