By Lucy Keeble – l.keeble2@uni.brighton.ac.uk
Travelling alone no longer means facing the world by yourself, as a growing number of people turn to community-led groups that are reshaping the solo travel experience.
Embed from Getty ImagesCourtney Fryer adjusts the strap of her backpack as the sun rises over the mountains of Chiang Mai. The air smells of incense and street food and the chatter around her is a mix of Mancunian and Australian accents.
Technically, she’s a solo traveller. She boarded the flight alone as her parents nervously waved her off at Gatwick Airport.
But this morning she’s laughing with nine other women she met just three days ago, debating smoothie bowls before a temple tour.
By sunset they’ll be sharing taxis, swapping life stories over pad Thai and planning a weekend trip to Pai.
Courtney is travelling by herself but she is far from alone.
This is solo travel, 2026 style.
Embed from Getty ImagesA new kind of travel community
Across the travel industry, a new model is gaining popularity: group experiences designed specifically for solo travellers. Many are tailored towards women, though there are options for everyone.
One example is Girls Gone Global, a community-led travel company co-founded by 25-year-old entrepreneur Breanne Gathercole.
Gathercole says the idea came directly from her own experiences travelling abroad.
‘I’ve always loved travelling,” she says. ‘I quit a normal job when I was about 23 and decided to work independently. I used to be quite a very negative person, but I’ve completely changed that since working for myself and my life is something that I dreamt about when I was younger.’
The concept for her travel community began during a summer working in Zante, where she met another traveller who would go on to become a close friend.
‘I met one of my closest friends while working abroad’ she explains. ‘We started travelling together and organising trips with friends. Eventually we planned a month-long trip across eight places in Thailand with a group of people. That’s really where Girls Gone Global came from.’
Today the company runs month-long trips across Thailand, with itineraries including Phuket, Krabi, Koh Lipe, Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Participants join alone but travel together, often meeting each other for the first time once the trip begins.
Gathercole says the trips are designed to strike a balance independence with connection.
‘A lot of people want to travel but don’t always have friends who can come with them,’ she says. ‘Everyone’s a bit nervous at first, but by the second day they’re all best friends. There’s something about travelling that connects people really quickly.’
Safety is also a central focus of the trips as Breanne said: ‘Safety is huge, especially when you’re halfway across the world on your own, girls want to be independent and try new things, but it can be really scary if you’ve never done it before.’
‘That’s why we created Girls Gone Global so women can travel without feeling scared. You can come on your own and leave with a new family.’
Embed from Getty ImagesThe solo travel boom
The rise of these communities reflects a broader shift in global travel patterns.
Solo travel is booming, particularly among women seeking independence, adventure and personal growth.
According to data compiled by Condor Ferries, 58% of travellers planned to take a solo trip in 2024. The global solo travel market was valued at $482.5 billion that year and is projected to reach more than $1.5 trillion by 2033.
Women are leading the trend, with 84% of solo travellers identifying as female.
Research from Skyscanner also shows hotel bookings using the “solo traveller” filter have increased by 83% globally year on year.
But the definition of solo travel is evolving. Increasingly, travellers are choosing what some companies call “solo-ish” adventures trips where individuals travel independently but within a group environment.
In an era shaped by remote work, social media and rising loneliness, the goal of travel is shifting. The journey is no longer just about escaping everyday life, it is also about forming connections.
Travel as connection
For decades, solo travel carried connotations of risk. It was romanticised in memoirs but often questioned in reality.
Today, that narrative is changing.
Andrea D’Amico, chief executive of WeRoad, believes shared travel experiences can play a powerful role in building relationships.
D’Amico said: ‘We believe travel is one of the most powerful ways to create real human connections.’
‘Our research shows that one in two people now travel not just to escape, but to reconnect. In a time when loneliness is rising, sharing a journey can help people build genuine friendships.’
WeRoad specialises in experience-led group trips for solo travellers, offering organised itineraries across Asia, South America, Europe and Africa.
According to WeRoad research, women now make up 60% of their customer base. The motivations behind travel are also changing as only 14% of travellers say they travel purely to relax. However, 45% travel to challenge themselves and 57% see travel as a form of personal development.
Justyna Chlopecka, UK marketing manager at WeRoad, said: ‘The future of travel isn’t about showing off it’s about showing up for yourself, for others and for the world. We’re seeing a shift toward travel that focuses on connection, purpose and personal growth.’
The emotional side of travelling alone
Despite the positive experiences many travellers report, loneliness remains a major social issue.
A survey conducted by WeRoad found that 55% of people admit they feel lonely in daily life.
The World Health Organisation has even identified loneliness as a growing global public health concern.
For some travellers, that concern plays out in their own decision to travel alone.
Olivia Kiddle, student from Hampshire, took to the Brighton Girl Facebook Community about always liking the idea of solo travel but felt hesitant to take the leap.
Olivia said: ‘I put a post up on Facebook because I honestly didn’t know where to start. I love the idea of solo travel, especially after I finished my studies but the thought of going alone really scares me.’
‘It’s the safety side of things, you just hear so many scary stories. I was hoping there might be a community or group of people in the same position, where you’re technically travelling solo but not completely on your own. I think I just need that bit of reassurance before I take the leap’.
For many travellers, the appeal of group-based solo travel lies in the balance it offers. The independence combined with a built-in support system.
Courtney says she initially felt anxious before leaving home. She said: ‘My anxiety was through the roof before I came.’ For Courtney, that quickly changed.
‘There’s always someone there to hype you up if you’re missing home or having a bad day. By the second day we were already sharing clothes, food and life stories.’
Embed from Getty ImagesFinding connection on the road
Flexible remote working is making long-term travel more accessible to young professionals, while social media is normalising travelling alone. In many destinations, independence now exists alongside a growing sense of community.
Travellers can wander night markets alone, knowing someone will notice if they don’t return. That balance between freedom and connection is what is redefining solo travel.
For Courtney, that shift became clear during a day spent visiting waterfalls and bamboo rafting in the Thai countryside.
Courtney said: ‘I remember sitting there looking around at the girls and the scenery thinking how crazy it was that a few days ago we were all complete strangers.’
‘In that moment it really hit me how special the whole experience was.’
By her final night in Chiang Mai, her shift from solo traveller to part of a group feels complete. She returns to the rooftop bar where it all began. The city hums below as lanterns float into the night sky. Around her, laughter erupts over an inside joke formed only weeks earlier.
She arrived chasing independence and left with something she hadn’t expected: a group of friendships formed thousands of miles from home.
The drawbacks of travelling in groups
Despite the rise in community-led travel, it is not without its challenges.
Travelling as part of a group can require compromise, with strangers often sharing close living spaces and spending extended periods together. According to a travel analysis from The Globetrotter GP, this lack of freedom is one of the key drawbacks of group travel. Organised itineraries mean travellers have less flexibility than they would on a completely independent trip, with limited opportunity to stay longer in one place or explore at their own pace.
Yet for many, these trade-offs are outweighed by the sense of connection, safety and shared experience these trips provide.
Solo travel hasn’t disappeared. It has simply changed shape. In 2026, being alone is optional. Connection is not. As more travellers seek both independence and community, the future of travel looks less like choosing one or the other and more like having both.