Solo travel: Explorative insights from a mature market (Switzerland)

A growing number of people are travelling alone for holidays, yet limited research addresses this topic. This paper explores the main motivators and drivers of satisfaction and dissatisfaction for solo holiday travellers using a critical incident technique to collect and analyse data. The findings show that drivers of satisfaction for solo holiday travellers are more related to personal feelings of freedom, relaxation and discovery (personal factors) and interaction with other people (human interaction factors) than with holiday destination factors. Safety (a destination factor) and unfriendly service providers (a human interaction factor) are the main sources of dissatisfaction for solo holiday travellers.

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Solo Holiday Travellers: Motivators and Drivers of Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction

Bianchi

2015

Yuanfen and traveling neo‐tribes: Social interactions and group relations among Chinese road travelers

Wang

Xie

2020

Within the context of Chinese culture and the theoretical framework of neo-tribes, this study explores the mobilities of road travelers on the Sichuan-Tibet Highway in China and explains their social interactions and group relations by using mobile ethnography and multi-sited ethnography. It finds that social interactions during road travels are "easily meet, easily part." However, between travelers and within travel groups, kindness and affective interactions are ubiquitous. The Chinese cultural concept "yuanfen," which means serendipity in relationships, explains the logic of interaction. A road traveling neo-tribe is also formed. The findings of this study enhance understanding of alternative travelers' social interactions and tourism experiences.neo-tribes, road travel, Sichuan-Tibet highway, social interactions, yuanfen | INTRODUCTIONSocial interaction is a principal means by which people build social relationships, develop a sense of belonging, and enjoy positive psychological experiences in their daily lives (Bernstein, Zawadzki, Juth,

The exploration of Iranian solo female travellers' experiences

Hosseini

Macías

Almeida‐García

2021

For various reasons, some women experience solo travel in different parts of the world. However, as with many leisure activities, access to travel and tourism does not have the same distribution between different social groups, including other classes and genders (men and women). While there is a growing body of research on solo female travellers, few studies have included women from Middle Eastern or Muslimmajority countries. Drawing upon a series of in-depth interviews, this paper examines the travel experiences of Iranian solo female travellers, which have been mainly overlooked in prior studies on the topic. The study's findings indicate that solo travel motivations can be categorized into personal factors: freedom and flexibility, selfempowerment, independence, and exploration. Also, the absence of family responsibilities, routines, and gender constraints, as well as the promotion of their social and personal selves, contributed to their well-being. The results also indicate that, despite the restrictions imposed by Iran's religious-patriarchal society, tourism has made women more visible in the public sphere. Overall, this study fills a significant gap in tourism research by highlighting the experience, limitations, and motivation of solo female travellers, which heralds social change.