Solo Travel Research Articles

The meanings of solo travel for Asian women

PurposeThis study aims to explore the meanings of solo travel for Asian women, focussing on how Asian women construct and negotiate their identities in the heteronormalised, gendered and Western-centric tourism space.Design/methodology/approachIn-depth interviews were conducted with 35 Asian solo female travellers from ten Asian countries/societies and analysed using constructivist grounded theory. The interpretation was guided by a critical stance and intersectionality lens.FindingsThe findings show that solo travel provides a means for self-discovery but the path was different for Asian women, for whom the self is constructed by challenging the social expectations of Asian women. Western-centric discourse was identified in the participants’ interactions with other (Western) travellers and tourism service providers, as well as in the ways these Asian women perceive themselves in relation to Western travellers. In addition to gendered constraints and risks, the findings also reveal the positive meaning of being Asian women in the gendered tourism space.Research limitations/implicationsBy labelling Asian women, the study risks adopting an essentialised view and overlooking the differences within the group. However, this strategic essentialism is necessary to draw attention to the inequalities that persist in contemporary tourism spaces and practices.Originality/valueThis study investigated Asian solo female travellers, an emerging but under-researched segment. It provides a critical examination of the intersectional effect of gender and race on identity construction for Asian solo female travellers. This study shows the need for a more inclusive tourism space.

Upselling by Default: The Effect of Default Options on Travelers’ Board and Lodging Choices

Pre-set options, referred to as default options, have been found to influence consumer choices in various settings. In this paper, we investigate the effect of default options on the chosen categories of board and lodging in travel packages. The results of two field experiments indicate that guests traveling as couples are more likely to book a superior room and additional meals if the high-grade option—instead of on the low-grade option—is set as the default. This effect is particularly strong for board choices. In contrast, solo travelers are not affected by high-grade defaults. Solo travelers show strong and stable preferences for high-grade board categories and low-grade room categories. These findings provide practical implications for how travel companies can benefit from default options to promote the sale of higher-graded—and thus higher-priced—travel packages.

나 홀로 여행이 자아성찰과 삶의 만족에 미치는 영향

나 홀로 여행이 자아성찰과 삶의 만족에 미치는 영향

The travel motivations and experiences of female Vietnamese solo travellers

Solo travel is a growing trend, a significant proportion made up of international students who take solo trips during their study abroad. However there is limited empirical research on the Asian proportion of this growing market. This study explores the main motivations and constraints of 10 female Vietnamese students’ solo travellers through in-depth interviews. The findings indicate that travel motivations can be categorised into personal factors, such as freedom and flexibility, self-empowerment, independence and exploration, and social interaction factors including a lack of companions and meeting new people. Travel constraints relate to being female and alone and being of Asian descent. This research extends understanding of this important market segment. As a result, tourism providers and destination marketing organisation (DMOs) can capitalise by developing their products and marketing.

The Impact of Female Travelers’ Travel Constraints on Attitude toward Solo Travel and Travel Intention

The Impact of Female Travelers’ Travel Constraints on Attitude toward Solo Travel and Travel Intention

나홀로 해외여행객의 언어제약이 여행의도에 미치는 영향

This study analyzed the influence of language constraint on travel intention of outbound solo travelers. Travel motivation, travel constraints, and personal disposition, as well as language constraint, were specified as explanatory variables, and behavioral intention of outbound solo travelers was the dependent variable. Interaction effects between language constraint and other travel constraints were also analyzed. Empirical results show that the higher the language constraint, the lower the intention to travel alone in the future. Moreover, the results show an interaction effect of intrapersonal constraint with language constraint, indicating that when travelers with intrapersonal constraint also feel language constraint, their intentions decreased even more. It implies that there still exists a difficulty in communication for outbound solo travelers, despite the recently lowered language barrier through technological advances such as the internet, SNS, and translation applications.

소셜 미디어 빅데이터 분석을 이용한 나홀로 여행 트렌드 분석 : 제주도를 중심으로

This study aimed to analyze trends of solo travel through social media big data reflecting social phenomena on Jeju Island which is the most preferred region for solo travelers. For three years from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2018, we collected text data including the keyword ‘Jeju Island solo travel’ from blog and cafes of Korea’s leading portal site NAVER and DAUM. The data were collected using TEXTOM and UCINET 6 was used for analysis of degree centrality, closeness centrality, betweenness centrality, eigenvector centrality and CONCOR. According to the results of analysis, the words such as ‘Jeju Island’, ‘travel’, ‘guest house’, ‘course’, ‘restaurant’, and ‘accommodation’ were shown as high frequencies. In addition, the words such as ‘cafe’, ‘sea’, and ‘photo’ except for common words were influential in the centrality analysis. And CONCOR analysis included five clusters of ‘selection attributes of solo travel’, ‘selection attributes of Jeju Island’, ‘selection attributes of accommodation’, ‘stage of planning a travel’, and ‘influencing factors to decision-making’. The study is differentiated in that it used social media big data instead of traditional research methods. Furthermore it reflects social phenomena, so there will be practical value in establishing a tourism marketing strategy.

Eat, Sleep, Fly, Repeat: Meal Patterns Among Swedish Business Travelers

Over half of the annual guests at Swedish hotels are supplied by the corporate sector. These guests are made up of individuals who travel for meetings, conferences, or presentations as a part of their job. Access to meals while travelling is essential and introduces added complexity to business travelers' everyday lives. These meals, and the pattern in which they are consumed, are part of the individual traveler's personal and group identities. Therefore, the aim of this article is to study if business travelers deviate from their habitual meal patterns and, if so, what changes they make. To further the understanding of this group's meal patterns, a questionnaire was created and distributed. It was answered by 538 self-identified business travelers. These business travelers were made up of three groups: solo travelers, group travelers, and individuals who traveled both in groups as well as alone. Pearson's chi-squared test was used to analyze differences in actions related to the meal pattern between groups. The analysis showed that changes in the meal pattern did occur in some instances. However, the majority of the business travelers adhered to their habitual meal pattern while adjusting their behavior depending on the time of day. Managers of catering suppliers gaining insight into the meal habits of business travelers could help to ease an otherwise stressful situation by supplying meals, as a context, that fit with the business traveler's habitual patterns and meal contexts.

Tinder tourism: tourist experiences beyond the tourism industry realm

ABSTRACTThere is mounting evidence that an increasing number of tourists are using the dating application (‘app’) Tinder. This paper explores this phenomenon, including how Tinder users engage with the app prior to, during and following their travel, and whether their engagement aligns with theories pertaining to the stages of becoming a tourist. In order to investigate Tinder’s potential to enhance the tourism experience, the research employed a qualitative approach utilizing in depth interviews with Australians who had used Tinder while travelling. The findings demonstrate that Tinder plays a significant role in the tourism experience, for example by allowing instant access to local knowledge, and providing company for solo travellers. Further it demonstrates that Tinder tourists seek control of their own experience by using a non-traditional tourism app, which has implications for what the tourism industry can offer.

소셜 빅데이터를 이용한 한국인의 여행트렌드 분석

This study analyzed Korean travel trends using big data focused on family travel and solo travel as emerging world tourism trends. FIT is divided into family travel and solo travel. Social data were collected using search keywords of “family travel” and “solo travel,” and social network analysis was utilized. The results of analysis showed word frequency, n-gram (2-gram) frequency, travel attributes, centrality, and structural equivalence in the networks of family travel and solo travel. This study is meaningful in adopting network analysis as a new methodology and improving the efficiency of research by saving time and cost through big data analysis. This study can be useful as academic material in showing not only travel behaviors of family and solo travelers but also Korean cognition of each travel type.

Solo travellers to city destinations: an exploratory study in Sweden

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to gain more insight into the phenomenon of solo travel to city destinations and attain more knowledge on the topic.Design/methodology/approachThe study employed a questionnaire consisting of qualitative and quantitative items. In all, 21 individuals (12 women, 9 men) responded.FindingsThe most important reason for solo travel was their own free choice and in some cases, difficulty finding companions. Their activities at the destinations were mostly visiting attractions followed by visiting friends, shopping, walking, eating at restaurants, learning the language, working, etc. They mostly mentioned advantages but also some disadvantages with solo travelling. Their experiences, especially with the people in the host destinations, have been positive and they show overall satisfaction with their visit. A predominant share of the interviewees showed a kind of loyalty to one or more specific city destinations and wished to revisit them again and again.Practical implicationsThe current study might have some implications for city tourism developers/destination developers, travel agencies, national or regional tourism boards and tour operators in major urban areas and cities. Especially, this study has a practical contribution to the city tourism practitioners and gives them more insight in what values, attitudes, perceptions, expectations and motivations the solo travellers might have before or while they visit their cities. The study also has implications for potential solo travellers seeking more knowledge and information on the issue.Originality/valueThe phenomenon of solo travel to city destinations is an unresearched topic in Sweden. This exploratory study is the first in Sweden to focus on solo travellers visiting city destinations.

Analyzing the dynamic ride-sharing potential for shared autonomous vehicle fleets using cellphone data from Orlando, Florida

Transportation network companies (TNCs) are regularly demonstrating the economic and operational viability of dynamic ride-sharing (DRS) to any destination within a city (e.g., uberPOOL or Lyft Line), thanks to real-time information from smartphones. In the foreseeable future, fleets of shared automated vehicles (SAVs) may largely eliminate the need for human drivers, while lowering per-mile operating costs and increasing the convenience of travel. This may dramatically reduce private vehicle ownership resulting in extensive use of SAVs. This study anticipates DRS matches across different travelers and identifies optimum fleet sizes required using AirSage's cellphone-based trip tables across 1267 zones over 30 days. Assuming that the travel patterns do not change significantly in the future, the results suggest significant opportunities for DRS-enabled SAVs. Nearly 60% of the single-person trips could be shared with other individuals traveling solo and with less than 5 min of added travel time (to arrive at their destinations), and this value climbs to 80% for 15 to 30 min of added wait or travel time. 60,000 SAVs will be required to meet nearly 50% of Orlando's 2.8 million single-traveler trips each day. With maximum ride-sharing delays of 15 minutes, and when focused on serving solo travelers, the average SAV is able to serve 25 person-trips per day, reducing parking demands while filling up passenger vehicle seats.

Women solo travellers: motivations and experiences

Introduction: The concept of female solo traveler, despite recent, has become a relevant tourist segment. As tourists, these women are looking for journeys that bring more than a trip from one place to another. They choose to go alone in the pursuit of adventure, independence, feeling of personal fulfillment, individuality and escape. They do not travel alone because they have no choice or because they are loners. They are driven by specific and consciousness motivations.Objective: In this conceptual work, a set of solo travel motivations are categorize based on literature review, to identify why women, choose to travel alone. The focus of this article is to explore the relationship between these motivations with women solo travel experiences providing a conceptual model.Methods: An extensive literature review focusing on the concept of tourism motivations and experiences provide a framework that allows assesses the specific motivations that driven women into travel alone and the corresponding solo traveler experience dimensions. The multi-dimension scales considers eight motivations dimensions: (1) escape, (2) self-identity and development, (3) challenge, (4) connectedness with others, (5) learning, (6) adventure, (7) new life perspectives, and (8) autonomy; and five experience dimensions: (1) sense, (2) feel, (3) think, (4) act, and (5) relate based on Schmitt’ model tourism experience (Schmitt, 1999).Results: Despite an extensive literature review, there are few studies based on experiences and motivations of women solo travelers.Conclusions: Even if it is a market that has not been very explored and studied has gained numerous supporters around the world, translating into an expressive impact not only in sociological terms, but also in its tourist experience.

Tourist satisfaction and subjective well‐being: An index approach

AbstractThe purpose of this research is to propose an index approach to study the impact of travel experience on tourists' satisfaction and the further impact on their sense of well‐being. Based on the latest development of tourist satisfaction research, that is, the tourist satisfaction indices, this innovative study further extends the two‐stage framework of tourist travel experiences to account for subjective well‐being and subsequently calculates a tourist well‐being index. A questionnaire with 496 respondents was used, which focused on four service sectors' tourist satisfaction indices. From this, a destination overall tourist satisfaction index and a tourist well‐being index were produced using the results of structural equation modelling. Some key findings include the higher the impact of the trip on tourist's sense of well‐being the higher the loyalty towards the destination. Different cultures had different results concerning the trip experiences (satisfaction) and the impact of the latter on their subjective well‐being. Group travellers also had a significantly more positive experience compared with solo travellers. A new innovative indices system capturing tourist satisfaction and its causes and outcomes, in particular its impact on tourist's subjective well‐being, was developed. This research therefore extends work done on the impact of tourist experience and quality of life/subjective well‐being.

The solo female Asian tourist

This qualitative study explores the travel motivations and experiences of solo female Asian tourists. Data were collected from 10 in-depth interviews with a focus on Asian women's travel motivations, experiences and constraints. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Resistance was found to be an important factor as in order to travel solo, the participants had to resist sociocultural expectations for Asian women's behaviour. Sexualised male attention was also found to be an important constraint. Suffering harassment from men in the destinations they visited, the women became fearful of attack or abuse, and this limited their use of the leisure space offered at the destination. Being Asian was felt to further increase their vulnerability. None of these factors however deterred the women from future solo travel plans.

How does family influence the travel constraints of solo travelers? Construct specification and scale development

ABSTRACTAttracting the solo travel market is increasingly important for destination marketing organizations. Despite the wealth of literature on travel motivations of solo travelers, a related domain of research that deserves more attention are the travel constraints that could hinder solo traveling. More specifically, although solo travelers may wish to embark on a journey alone, they must nevertheless address a number of constraints that oftentimes stem from their family’s concerns for them as family represents a critical influencer that could impact their travel decision. Yet, research measuring the influence of family remains under-studied. In order to address this gap, this study connects knowledge on travel constraints with literature on family dynamics to develop a valid and reliable measurement scale for assessing family pressures on solo travelers. Destination marketers can apply this scale to evaluate the effectiveness of their marketing strategies at easing the concerns of solo travelers as a result of family pressures.

‘홀로여행객’의 자기오락화와 여가몰입과의 관계연구

‘홀로여행객’의 자기오락화와 여가몰입과의 관계연구

‘홀로여행객’의 자기오락화와 여가몰입과의 관계연구

이 연구의 주요 논쟁은 홀로여행객의 자기오락화가 여가몰입의 구성변인인 인지몰입과 행위몰입에 미치는 영향관계를 실증적으로 분석해보고 주요한 시사점을 제시하는 것이다. 최근에 오면서 홀로여행객이 추구하고자 하는 목적이 다양하게 나타나는바, 그리고 홀로여행객이 점차적으로 증가할 것이라는 추론을 짐작할 때, 본 연구의 결과가 앞으로 전개될 홀로여행객의 라이프 스타일을 제고하고 이들을 위한 여행프로그램의 개발에 시사점을 제시하고자한다. 구체적인 본 연구의 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 홀로여행객의 자기오락화에 대한 구성변인으로 자기양식, 환경양식, 놀이화양식 등으로 분류하였고, 여가몰입에 대한 요인으로는 인지몰입과 행위몰입으로 분류되었다. 둘째, 자기오락화의 자기양식과 놀이화양식은 인지몰입에 정적 영향관계가 있는 것으로 규명되고 있지만, 환경양식은 유의미한 영향관계가 없는 것으로 나타났다. 셋째, 홀로여행객의 자기양식과 환경양식 그리고 놀이화양식은 여가몰입의 하위변수인 행위몰입에 모두 유의미한 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 따라서 이 연구는 향후 연구과제로서 이 시점에 자주 화두로 등장하는 ‘혼술’과 ‘혼밥’ 등 1∼2인 가구의 증가를 고려할 때 ‘홀로여행객’에 대한 지속적인 연구가 수행되어야함을 시사하고 있다.

실존적 진정성 추구가 자유여행 및 나홀로여행 선호에 미치는 영향

This study examined the impact of the sub-dimensions of existential authenticity on preference for independent travel and solo travel. It also analyzed the moderating effects of age in terms of the relationship that exists between existential authenticity and preference for independent travel and solo travel. To achieve the research objective, we surveyed 341 adults and analyzed the results using an exploratory factor analysis, multiple regression, and step-wise regression. The findings were as follows: First, both sub-dimensions of existential authenticity positively influenced preference for independent travel. Second, intra-personal authenticity positively influenced preference for solo travel while inter-personal authenticity did not significantly influence it. Third, age moderated the relationship between inter-personal authenticity and preferences for both types of travel. However, the relationship between intra-personal authenticity and preferences for both types of travels were not significantly moderated by age. These findings have both theoretical and practical implications, particularly in terms of the role of sub-dimensions of existential authenticity in the tourist experience.

“Ways of Comfort”

On May 10, 1869, the Golden Spike was driven, ushering in an innovative era of transcontinental railroad travel in the United States. Long-distance train journeys brought new challenges for women who needed to communicate an image of attractiveness, respectability, and modesty within the liminal space of the Pullman car. Women—particularly solo travelers—used dress as a means of negotiating these spaces where the public sphere collided with notions of modesty. This study uses a newspaper article titled “Ways of Comfort: Valuable Hints for Ladies Traveling by Rail. Suggestions for Night and Day—Eating and Sleeping, Dressing and Undressing” as a framework for analyzing American women’s actual experiences of dressing for train travel, as embodied by extant garments, as recorded in women’s journals and letters, and as revealed in photographs and engravings, supporting the conclusion that they used dress to communicate the fashionable and moral imperative of respectability.