Travelling alone, not to escape, but to find oneself

Travelling alone, not to escape, but to find oneself

21 October 2025

While many people take advantage of holidays to get away with family or friends, another type of traveller is emerging, more discreet but increasingly visible: those who travel alone. Not out of necessity, but by choice. Travelling alone means deciding to find yourself, follow your own pace, and listen to your desires without compromise. This trend is now confirmed by all major studies in the tourism sector.

Solo travel is no longer marginal

Long perceived as an unusual experience or one reserved for great adventurers, solo travel is now becoming a truly mainstream practice. The Hilton Trends Report 2025 even identifies new type of traveller : ‘MeMooners’, globetrotters who treat themselves to a trip as a personal gift. According to the report, 58% of Hilton experts expect solo travel to continue growing in 2025. In the United Kingdom, 34% of those surveyed are considering a solo trip before the end of the year.

Other figures confirm this trend :

• According to ABTA, 16 per cent of travellers travelled alone in 2023, compared with 11 per cent a year earlier.
• Grand View Research predicts that the global solo travel market will reach over one trillion dollars by 2030, with annual growth of over 14%.
• According to Atlys, searches for ‘solo travel’ have increased by nearly 60% since 2022.

Why this desire for chosen solitude ?

The popularity of solo travel also says something about our times. Our fast-paced lives, constant connectivity and busy schedules create a growing need for individual breathing space. Travelling alone becomes a form of conscious pause, a way of pressing “reset”.

Motivations vary :

• Seeking the freedom to organise one's time, desires and discoveries
• Refocusing after a period of transition (life change, work overload, separation, etc.).
• Enjoy a more authentic experience, far from compromises and group itineraries.
• And sometimes, simply learning to trust yourself.

Hilton also observes that many MeMooners” travel with a book or notebook, symbols of a moment of introspection. Others bring their pets along, combining independence with comfort.

Travelling alone does not mean travelling in isolation.

Solo travel does not have to mean loneliness. Community platforms, friendship apps and shared accommodation have transformed the way we travel alone. Designer hostels, co-living spaces and work & travel programmes allow travellers to meet others while maintaining their independence. This is now known as social solo travel: you set off alone, but connect with other explorers once you arrive. This is particularly true of Millennials and Generation Z, who favour shared experiences, even when travelling individually.

A journey for oneself, not against others

Travelling alone does not mean being alone. It is a choice, often a conscious one, to travel at your own pace. To wake up when you want, to wander without a plan, to talk to whoever you meet, or to remain silent if you need to. And many describe this freedom as a luxury. An emotional luxury, that of being fully present in the moment. Solo travel, at its core, is not just about the destination. It is an inner experience, one that breeds confidence, listening and curiosity, one where you understand that travelling alone also gives you the chance to (re)discover yourself.