Tourism on the whole is on the rise. And an interesting statistic in the midst of those is also on the rise: people traveling on their own more often -- or atleast attempting to is also a new trend for 2019.
Maybe a few years ago it wasn't that common; To pack your bags and just go on a trip alone. I remember traveling was something that you did with a buddy, or with a small group of friends. But take a look around on internet communities and die-hard travel blogs and you will see people boasting about their adventurous, spiriutual, and even educational journeys -- alone.
Perhaps television and media is a influening factor here. After all, we do see many travel shows which have become successful with the intent of causing some curiosity in the minds of people. Thanks to travel shows like the late Anthony Bourdain's, and others, people seem more interested in meaningful travel then ever before.
However, there remains a bit of doubt in some peoples minds. They may not say it, but quite a few people have seconds thoughts about going on journey - fully alone. Just them and nobody else accompanying them. The fear of travelling alone is very real. I had it, you probably have or had it, and many others do too. But it seems one of the effective ways to overcome this fear of travelling alone is to simply take a trip alone for the first time.
I remembering at a dinner with friends a few years ago. The topic of travel came up. Eventually this question came up:
"who here has traveled to a far off place fully alone"?
Out of around 10 people only 3 answered "yes" to that question.
I bet if you ask that question now there would be more people admiting to it.
Part of the equation might be social pressures though. Not that many people might be comfortable traveling alone. Some of us might feel uncomfortable even eating at a diner alone. This may be due to social pressures and beliefs. Some have been so accustomed to traveling with a friend that they have no experience what it feels like to do it alone.
Safety could also be another factor. Many people feel safer when they trave with a friend, or partner. And this is understandable. Safety should come first. But there is something that needs to be said in this regard. Some of the fears that we have about places are also unjust. Once you go their and see it for yourself you will see that there wasn't really anything to be afraid of. Fear usually comes from the known. Once you experience something the fear drastically goes away.
However, due dilligence must still be done. And of course, as a solo traveler one should always have more awareness to the people and environments they are in -- this is a given.
But a little research goes along way. Thanks to the internet, and social media, one can easily research on the location, people, and safety before traveling to that specific location. Google maps is really helpful in this regard. One can even see the location before going.
All these tools and info is at our disposal. We are much more ready to travel to a new place then ever before. If this trend continues then surely more people will embark on life changing journeys alone. And that is something to consider in 2019, and going forward.
