含羞草社区

From intrepid millennial travelers eager to explore the world to savvy senior travelers checking off their bucket lists, solo travel is on the rise. According to statistics and trends curated by Solo Traveler, . This stat is corroborated by Travel Agent Central, which notes that . Ready to win over this growing travel segment? Dana suggests mastering these four mindsets.

1. Make them feel wanted. Solo travelers have traditionally felt like the 鈥渢hird wheel鈥� of the travel category. With pricing based per couple or double occupancy, it鈥檚 hard to not feel unwanted. While the industry has done an admirable job of marketing to the IBT (Individual Business Traveler) market through loyalty programs and perks, the solo leisure traveler isn鈥檛 likely to see themselves represented in marketing efforts. Start by showing solo travelers in your materials and adding relevant content on your website and social platforms. For example, includes testimonials from solo travelers on its website.
2. Address concerns up front. Whether or not you鈥檙e on your own, you want to feel secure, important and included. And solo travelers have a legitimate beef here! Who hasn鈥檛 heard stories of being seated by the kitchen doors in a restaurant, being ignored at the front desk or just feeling 鈥渓ess than鈥� when traveling alone? Be sure you hit on top solo traveler concerns in your materials鈥攁nd make sure your staff is on board, too. Employee training can pay off by ensuring that solo travelers are treated to the same standard of service as couples, IBTs and families. For tips on supporting solo female travelers in particular, check and .
3. Be frank about the finances. Oh, that dreaded 鈥渟ingle supplement鈥�! It can be a real bone of contention with singles. We like the way our client smarTours庐 tackles the topic. When they launch their new website, they鈥檒l be devoting content to solo travelers and addressing the concern up front. Once solo travelers understand how hotel bookings work for group travel, they are more likely to be forgiving of the extra charge. But if you want to win over this group, be honest and don鈥檛 gouge them. Take the example of Celestyal Cruises. This cruise operator serving the Greek Isles actively pursues the solo travel market by pricing single supplements at 70% less than most cruise lines and providing attractive offers like .
4. Help make the connections. It helps solo travelers if there are opportunities to connect with other people, and you can help make those connections happen. Whether you鈥檙e simply suggesting restaurants with communal dining tables, including group get-togethers on tours or offering on-property gathering places, these introductions will be appreciated and remembered. A long-standing example of making connections is the , a decades-long amenity that led to a near-fanatical following of Kimpton by solo travelers.

And don鈥檛 miss the boat. Now is the perfect time to capitalize on the growing solo traveler trend. Assess your offerings to make sure that you鈥檙e marketing to solo travelers. Need help? Contact Lynn Kaniper at 609-466-9187 ext. 117 or聽lkaniper@danacommunications.com听迟辞诲补测.