News on solo travel from Reuters

Is the market for solo travel slowly turning our way? Is the industry finally willing to cater to the solo traveler?

Hard to say.

But I would love to take at face value the following quote and others in a story about how the industry is wooing solo travelers irritated by the extra charges they face as a party of one:

"The tour industry is making way for the single traveler," said Margie Jordan, spokesperson for the American Society of Travel Agents. "This is nothing that's going to go away. The single traveler is going to have as many opportunities as anyone else."

She says that cruise lines, in particular, are offering solo travelers opportunities to travel without paying the single supplement. And indeed I've written here and here about a few that have waived the single supplement charge.

I'm not much into cruises myself. But how about we get the word out to tour operators?

Comments

[brian]

Tour operators need to get with the times. With the advent of the Internet and sites like this, more and more people just deciding to put together trips themselves without having to deal with tours and other tour group members. Why pay the single supplement and still be on a schedule too?

[Ellen]

The reason I take tours as a solo traveler is because I get to meet other people and travel with them. On those trips I was willing to share a room with someone I hadn't yet met, which meant I didn't have to pay a single supplement.
I've never taken a tour when traveling with a friend or significant other. I didn't feel the need.