RCS - Hostelworld Grp PLC - 2024 State of Solo Travel Report

HostelworldAnnouncement

12/09/2024 12:00

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RNS Number : 9724D  Hostelworld Group PLC  12 September 2024

 

 

Hostelworld Unveils New Insights into the Solo Travel Community

·    More than half of solo travellers rank the people they meet on their
trip as the most memorable aspect of solo travel.

London, UK, 12(th) September 2024 - Hostelworld, the global leader in youth
accommodation and social travel, today released its groundbreaking 2024 Solo
Travel Report, offering a comprehensive look into the motivations,
destinations, and experiences of solo travellers worldwide.

Data-Driven Insights from Millions of Trips

Based on anonymised data collected from millions of trips worldwide,
Hostelworld's Solo Travel Report 2024 offers valuable insights into the
demographics, preferences, and emerging behaviours of solo travellers.

Key findings include:

·    Meeting Interesting People Trumps Memorable Experiences: The report
reveals that meeting interesting people (55%) is a more memorable aspect of
solo travel than discovering unique experiences (38.2%).

·    Thailand's Enduring Popularity: Thailand is still the top choice for
solo travellers, with its diverse attractions, vibrant culture, and range of
affordable accommodation drawing in budget-conscious explorers.

·    Dream Destinations: While Japan leads as the top bucket-list
destination (23.3%), solo travellers also aspire to visit other places like
Australia, New Zealand, Italy, and Thailand. However, Japan remains a prime
choice, highlighting its unique global allure.

·    Culinary Delights and Diverse Cultural Connections: 30.9% of solo
travellers prioritise food in deciding where to visit. Additionally, 45% of
solo travellers seek cultural connections and opportunities for authentic and
immersive experiences.

·    Youth-Led Movement: Solo travel continues to be driven by younger
generations, with 68% of solo travellers under the age of thirty-one. The
largest age groups are 18-24 (37.7%) and 25-30 (29.4%).

 

The report also looked at economic status, motivations for travel and
destination choice, app usage, budgeting strategies, travel essentials and
concerns.

 

Gary Morrison, Chief Executive Officer, Hostelworld, commented:

 

"Solo travel is no longer a trend; it's a lifestyle choice that reflects a
growing desire for personal exploration and connection. The rise of flexible
working continues to fuel this shift, allowing travellers to combine work with
adventure.

Despite the prevalence of digital connections, our data indicates that solo
travellers are increasingly choosing travel as a means to meet like-minded
individuals to share diverse experiences in real life, both in well-known
destinations and emerging hotspots.

Our report provides valuable insights into the motivations of solo travellers,
and we're pleased to present this latest information which not only
underscores the importance of Hostelworld's mission - to help travellers find
people to hang out with - but also highlights the evolving needs of the solo
travel community. By continuing to lead in delivering innovative solutions in
the solo travel space, Hostelworld aims to stay ahead of this exciting
movement."

Hostelworld is committed to fostering a supportive and inclusive community for
solo travellers. By offering a wide range of accommodation options and
resources in 180 countries, Hostelworld empowers individuals to embark on
unforgettable solo journeys, creating new connections and lasting memories.

For detailed information, with country-by-country breakdowns, and motivational
insights from more than 3,000 solo travellers please view the full report:
https://www.hostelworld.com/state-of-solo-travel
(https://www.hostelworld.com/state-of-solo-travel)

[High-resolution images available upon request]

Notes to Editors

Survey Methodology: The 2024 State of Solo Travel Report is based on data from
over four million trips conducted via Hostelworld's booking platform and a
survey of 5,231 travellers, including 3,428 solo travellers, conducted in May
and June 2024.

About Hostelworld Group

Hostelworld Group PLC is a ground-breaking social network powered Online
Travel Agent ("OTA") focused on the hostelling category, with a clear mission
to help travellers find people to hang out with.

Our mission statement is founded on the insight that most travellers go
hostelling to meet other people, which we facilitate through a series of
social features on our platform that connect our travellers in hostels and
cities based on their booking data. The strategy has been extraordinarily
successful, generating significant word of mouth recommendations from our
customers and strong endorsements from our hostel partners.

Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Ireland, Hostelworld is a well-known
trusted brand with almost 230 employees, hostel partners in over 180
countries, and a long-standing commitment to building a better world. To that
end, our focus over the last few years has been on improving the
sustainability of the hostelling industry.

Over the last two years we have commissioned independent research to validate
the category's sustainability credentials, and recently introduced a hostel
specific sustainability framework which encourages our hostel partners to move
to even more sustainable operations and provides the data points for our
customers to make more informed decisions about where they stay. In addition,
our customers are now able to offset their trip's carbon emissions should they
wish to do so, and we have maintained our 'Funding Climate Action' label
awarded by South Pole.

For further information on Hostelworld, please contact:

presshw@hostelworld.com

Hostelworld Group plc

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