With search share of solo hotel rooms up by 9% in the past year[4], and solo dining seeing a 14% uplift year-over-year in the UK,[2] KAYAK, the world’s leading travel search engine, has partnered with restaurant discovery and booking platform, OpenTable, to launch the ultimate guide to solo travel and dining. Offering solo travellers and diners an insight into the hottest travel destinations, must-visit restaurants and expert tips, this is the go-to resource for those choosing to travel and dine on their own.
Millennials and Gen Z revealed as solo ambassadors
New consumer data, conducted by both brands supports this seen trend, with 72% of Brits planning to dine solo in the next year and nearly half (42%) are going on a solo trip[1] – and it’s Gen Zs and Millennials who appear to be leading the shift.
The younger generations are no longer waiting around for a plus one to be available before booking their dream trip or eating in their favourite restaurant and are embracing solo experiences instead. Approximately 80% of Gen Zs and Millennials are planning to dine solo in the next 12 months, compared to 68% of Gen X and 57% of Boomers.[1] While on the travel side, about 90% of Millennials and Gen Zs are either already planning or desiring taking a solo trip in their lifetime, while older generations showed more modest interest (77% of Gen X’s and 73% of Boomers).[1]
Solo travel and dining = self-care
Solo travel has become the perfect opportunity for travellers to challenge themselves and experience something outside of their comfort zone. Among the reasons people appreciate jetting off without a plus one, 54% of respondents say they love the freedom to explore new places on their own terms and in their own time and over two in five (44%) enjoy the fact they don’t have to align their plans with someone else. Solo travel also offers over one in four (28%) people a chance to disconnect, recharge and focus on self-care.[1]
Self-care is a common thread across both travel and dining. Nearly two in five Brits (39%) would choose to dine solo when they need a break from socialising, with over a quarter (28%) revealing that their number one reason they appreciate dining alone is because they enjoy their “me time.” Additionally, 21% view solo dining as a part of their regular self-care routine.[1]
“Solo dining is a key dining trend of 2024, with solo diners spending 32% more per person than the average diner.[2] The rise in solo dining appears to reflect a growing trend of self-investment and valuing ‘me time,'” said OpenTable’s Laure Bornet, VP of International Growth. “Restaurants are adapting to this cultural shift by offering countertop seating, kitchen views and varied portion sizes to create the perfect spaces for solo guests to enjoy their dining experience.”
Solo doesn’t mean lonely
More than half (58%) of solo travellers have formed lasting relationships – whether friendly or romantic – on previous trips, and 44% say they are open to a holiday romance. This may explain why nearly a quarter (24%) of Brits book a double room when travelling solo.[1]
“Solo travel allows people to have autonomy and flexibility over their plans, including their pace of travel. It can be a liberating experience to travel alone, providing travellers with a huge sense of accomplishment,” said Rachel Mumford, travel expert of KAYAK UK. “Travelling independently doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice socialising as 24% reveal they make new friends more easily when travelling alone.”[1]
Top destinations for solo travellers and diners according to KAYAK and OpenTable[3]
The survey data shows the most common types of trips that appeal to solo travellers are city breaks (71%), outdoor vacations such as hiking (49%) and beach resorts (47%).[1]
When it comes to inspiration for the perfect solo trip, KAYAK and OpenTable can help. After analysing a variety of factors such as average flight and accommodation price, perception of safety and hotel ratings, and average meal costs, these are the top five destinations for those looking to experience solo travel and dining:
|
Top five destinations for solo travellers and diners according to KAYAK and OpenTable |
|||||||
|
Rank
|
Destination
|
Average |
Average |
Perceived |
Solo Travel |
Average |
Score
|
|
1 |
Berlin, Germany |
£109 |
£156 |
55.4 |
7.6 |
£20 |
100 |
|
2 |
Paris, France |
£173 |
£110 |
42.3 |
7.7 |
£27 |
95 |
|
3 |
Dublin, |
£168 |
£85 |
46.9 |
7.7 |
£23 |
90 |
|
4 |
Dubai, UAE |
£83 |
£557 |
83.7 |
7.7 |
£54 |
84 |
|
5 |
Sydney, |
£118 |
£1046 |
65.9 |
7.5 |
£33 |
72 |
The Solo Travel and Dining Guide on KAYAK provides solo travellers with a comprehensive resource to plan their next adventure with the page offers an exclusive guide to discovering the best destinations for solo travel.
To accompany KAYAK’s top solo travel picks, OpenTable is dishing out the top 5 solo dining spots in each destination, and launching its inaugural data-backed list of the Top 50 Restaurants for Solo Dining in the UK.5 The list features restaurants across the UK, including Upstairs at Landrace in Bath, The Mayfair Chippy in London, ERST in Manchester and The Black Grape in Edinburgh, as well as practical tips to fully enjoy the solo experience.
About KAYAK
KAYAK, part of Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG), is the world’s leading travel search engine. With billions of queries across our platforms, we help people find their perfect flight, stay, rental car and vacation package. We also support business travellers with our corporate travel solution.
About OpenTable
OpenTable, a global leader in restaurant tech and part of Booking Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG), helps more than 60,000 restaurants worldwide fill 1.7 billion seats a year. OpenTable’s world-class technology empowers restaurants to focus on what matters most – their team, their guests, and their bottom line – while enabling diners to discover and book the perfect restaurant for every occasion.
1. Consumer Research Methodology
An online survey was conducted by PureSpectrum among 1000 UK consumers with an interest in solo travel. Within this sample, major cities have been weighed for direct comparison. The research fieldwork took place between 2-6 August, 2024.
2. OpenTable data
OpenTable looked at online seated diners for parties of 1 from August 1 2023 to July 31 2024, and compared it to the corresponding period in 2023. Average spend per guest for parties of one and overall party sizes from August 1 2023 to July 31 2024 was also analysed.
3. KAYAK and OpenTable data
The top cities have been selected based on the largest share of solo travel searches made on KAYAK and the share of solo dining at OpenTable restaurants. The solo travel share has been identified based on the hotel searches for one person conducted from January 1, 2024 to July 31, 2024 for the travel period between January 17, 2024 and November 30, 2024. To identify solo dining share, OpenTable looked at solo seated diners from phone, online and walk-in reservations from August 1, 2023 to July 31, 2024 in cities with over 10 restaurants on the platform as of January 1, 2024.
4. KAYAK data
KAYAK looked at the share of hotel searches for one person made on KAYAK.co.uk based on searches conducted from 1/1/24 – 7/31/24 for travel between 1/7/24 – 11/30/24. To compare year-over-year, KAYAK considered hotel searches for one person based on searches conducted from 1/1/23 – 7/31/23 for travel between 1/7/23 – 11/30/23.
5. Top 50 Restaurants for Solo Dining in the UK Methodology
OpenTable’s Top Restaurants for Solo Dining is generated from OpenTable diner reviews and dining metrics from August 1 2023 to July 31 2024. Restaurants with a minimum threshold of diner reviews were considered and evaluated by a compilation of unique data points, including diner ratings, the percentage of five star reviews, the number of alerts set, the percentage of reservations made in advance and direct searches. Metrics were weighted to comprise an overall score. A percentage of solo reservations was used as a cutoff and then restaurants were ranked by score.
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