From romantic getaways to family reunions, weddings, stag and hen weekends, travel has long been considered a group activity. But travel trends are changing: in recent years, more people have embraced solo travel to satisfy desire for alone time. To investigate this growing phenomenon, Klook, a world-leading travel activities and services booking platform, commissioned a Solo Travel study conducted by YouGov, which found that the vast majority of travellers are interested in hitting the road alone – regardless of age, gender, or nationality.
Klook’s Solo Travel study polled close to 21,000 respondents across 16 markets and found that 76% of them have either travelled alone or are considering it. 69% of Malaysian respondents shared the same sentiments and when comparing generational preferences, 74% of Generation Z (18 to 24-year-olds) respondents and 67% of Millennials (25-39) said they have already travelled alone or would be keen to plan a trip. Though one might expect younger travellers to be more adventurous, Klook’s data also reveals similar trends amongst the older generations. Roughly 67% of Generation X (40-54) and 63% of Baby Boomers (55+) said they were interested in travelling alone. There is also little difference between genders, with 66% of women and 73% of men saying they have either already experienced or would be interested to pursue solo travel.
Additionally, 73% of respondents from the Central region expressed the highest interest in solo travel, followed by 69% from the Borneo region, 68% from the Southern region, 65% from the Northern region, and 57% from the East Coast region in Malaysia.
Malaysian respondents chose their top five must-dos when travelling alone:
- 70% of respondents shared it’s a must to join the local’s attractions
- Born in a diverse and multicultural country like Malaysia, 62% of respondents want to try out new and local cuisines whenever they visit a new destination
- Malaysia is also ranked as one of the top 3 countries with a total of 45% of respondents voted that taking Instagram worthy photos is one of the must-dos when travel solo
- 35% of respondents would love to just wander around and do nothing to relax
- 31% of respondents would like to take the opportunity to meet old and make new friends
While Malaysians voted safety as the main concern, ‘fear of loneliness’ ranks as the top concern for global solo travellers
Of course, not everyone is ready to explore alone. Klook’s survey also uncovered a love-hate relationship with solo travel: many people said they are interested in hitting the road alone, but simultaneously had reservations about potentially feeling lonely. In fact, half of the global survey participants who wanted to solo travel said a ‘fear of loneliness’ has been the biggest hurdle. This concern was prevalent across all generations, with Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X and Baby Boomers all ranking loneliness at their top concern.
On the contrary, 61% of Malaysian respondents ranked safety as their biggest solo travel concern. It followed by 46% of respondents who are afraid of travel solo due to loneliness and there will be no one to share memories with. 34% of them shared they are more dependent on travel partners and might not be able to plan and book the itinerary on their own.
“It is an exciting time to see that 69% of Malaysian respondents have such a strong desire for solo travel. However, we also discovered that safety and the fear of loneliness are the main hurdles that have been holding them back, resulting in a love-hate relationship with solo travel,” Emily Tan, Marketing Lead of Klook Malaysia. “Malaysians can navigate their way to quality ‘me-time’ on Klook, with more than 100,000 verified activities and services available globally. From spending an evening painting alone in Kuala Lumpur to joining a group snorkelling day trip at Mengalum Island in Sabah, we hope to inspire more Malaysians to step out of their comfort zone and plan a rewarding solo trip.”
Solo travel made easy with Klook
So how can solo travellers overcome their fears? Klook helps travellers, including Malaysians to tap into the many joys of solo travel through interactive, memorable and affordable activities that can be enjoyed in a group or alone. By joining a Klook experience, travellers instantly tap into a global community of like-minded travellers from more than 180 countries and counting.
Offering more than 100,000 activities, services and experiences through reliable operators worldwide on its ever-growing travel platform, Klook has something for every type of solo traveller. Outdoorsy types can take meditation to the next level by reconnecting with nature on a silent, meditative walk through the woodlands.
City dwellers who are looking for a short escape can opt to join an activity such a private art jamming session, which helps them to stay in the moment and paint the stress away. If they really just need some uninterrupted ‘me-time’, travellers can press reset with a wide selection of relaxing spa, meditation and yoga experiences on Klook.
Starting from today until 31 December 2019, Klook encourages Malaysians who would like to plan for their first or next solo trip to #JustKlookIt and enjoy up to RM350 of site-wide travel deals. New Klook users could also leverage on this opportunity and get 20% off for their first purchase. Please visit https://bit.ly/2C3vvma for more details.
Source: Press Release
