Silver solos: Meet the 60- and 70-something travellers setting off on adventures - TRENDWATCH: Following the global travel shutdown, people of all ages are setting off solo on their bucket list voyage...
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The Independent
2022-09-28T16:08:10Z
“There’s a new need to seize the moment post-Covid, and people are not letting anything stop them from taking that dream trip, even travelling on their own,” Wild Frontiers founder Jonny Bealby told
This trend seems to have grown since the depths of the pandemic, too. Intrepid Travel told us that half of UK bookings this year have been from customers aged 50-plus, compared to a third in 2019. More than half of these bookers are solo travellers, and of those solos, 60 per cent are female. Meanwhile, river cruise specialists Uniworld saw an uplift of 43 per cent for solo travellers aged over 55 this year, compared to 2019.
“Over the last nine months, we’ve seen bookings on the rise from the over-50s market,” says Erica Kritikides, global product manager for Intrepid Travel. “I suspect a lot of that growth is being driven by the new premium range and we are seeing a big pick-up from solo travellers.”
There’s a new need to seize the moment post-Covid, and people are not letting anything stop them from taking that dream trip
“It’s a time in your life where you’ve almost got that new-found freedom,” says Erica. “You might have kids who are fully grown, you might be retired. You’ve got more time to do this type of thing, but more importantly you’ve got time to reflect on what you really want to get done.”
Andrew Laugharne, 71, started travelling solo in 2015, just after retiring. Happily married to his wife, who he says prefers more relaxed beach and sightseeing holidays, he found himself drawn to more adventurous destinations, and decided to go solo. Like many solo travellers in his age group, he opts for small-group tours to unfamiliar spots such as Ethiopia and Jordan. Now he takes a couple of recharging holidays a year with his wife, but saves the real Michael Palin stuff for solo jaunts.
“I’d always been interested in travel, watching travelogues on the telly and so on, and fancied going beyond European cities and beaches,” he explains. “I looked for places I knew my wife was less bothered about - like a lot of people, she doesn’t necessarily want to camp in tribal settlements or deserts.”
I was quite fascinated with the chemistry of the group... It’s bit like university on the first day. You start afresh
“You don’t have any history or baggage; you could tell someone you’re a nuclear scientist or an astronaut and they wouldn’t know any better. It’s a bit like university on the first day. You start afresh,” he explains.
Another aspect Andrew likes is the challenge of an ambitious or active tour. He recalls the time he booked a cycling tour of Jordan - despite not having been on a bike since he was 18. “I bought one three months before I went,” he laughs.
Gill Waterton, now 70, started travelling solo aged 56 and has been to Myanmar, China, India, Tibet, Vietnam, Zambia and more over 10 solo trips. She likes to join small group tours of around 12-20 people, which feature either all solo travellers or a mix of solos and couples. As well as having a lifelong fascination with long-haul destinations, she was inspired to set off after going through a divorce.
“What sparked it was being on my own for the first time and realising family holidays weren’t going to happen. I wanted to do something for me, to see a bit of the world,” she says. “The first place I went was Thailand, over Christmas and New Year - I’d always wanted to go there since seeing
I just started to get more wild - I went to South Africa, I’d always wanted to go to India, Machu Picchu...
She says she was surprised at the range of adventurous destinations older-age specialists such as Saga offer; the operator helped her plan a trip to Zambia to volunteer with a local organisation. “They’re very good at grading their trips for various mobility issues, and knowing what’s too much,” she adds.
Erica agrees this is a key point for 60+ solos. “The pacing thing is really important. The one thing we know customers in that demographic don’t like is to feel super rushed,” she says. “They want to experience something properly. They want free time to explore.” To that end, Intrepid has started offering longer itineraries, such as 15-day trips, alongside shorter eight-day itineraries for certain destinations.
“Next I want to go along the Silk Road,” says Andrew. “Or to Guatemala - I’ve not been to Central America.” Gill, meanwhile, is eyeing a trip to Costa Rica to see the sloths and cloud forests.
It’s an incredibly important group
27 сен 2022
