With the trend of solo travel dominating in 2026, new data reveals that solo travelers are booking trips closer to departure dates, prioritizing cultural experiences, gastronomy, and affordable prices, and have a special preference for Oceania and Asia, while European destinations remain on their interests, including Greece.
FTLO Travel’s research reveals the “Top Countries Lonely Travelers Want to Visit in 2026,” with the results placing Australia/Oceania and Asia in the top spot.
In the remaining five top positions, Europe took third place, followed by South America and Africa.
This preference by region was strongly reflected in the results by country, where Australia, Japan, and New Zealand took the top three spots, with Argentina and Italy rounding out the top five, while Greece was also a favorite, ranking seventh.
Bookings have started
The news is generally good for the industry, with 42.1% of travelers saying they plan to travel more in 2026 than in 2025. Nearly half (49.4%) expect to make the same number of trips, while less than 10% (8.52%) said they plan to travel less.
However, these plans have not yet translated into revenue. More than half of travelers (51%) said they have made reservations for some of their leisure trips for 2026. An additional 29% have not yet made reservations for all their 2026 trips, and only 20% said they have already made reservations for all their 2026 leisure trips.
The majority of respondents said that they get inspired for their travels from both personal recommendations and online media. Nearly two-thirds (65%) said they are inspired by friends and word of mouth, while 63% cited Instagram as a source of influence. Less than a quarter (22%) said they use TikTok as an inspiration tool for their travels.
As for destination choice, the majority (69%) of travelers chose cultural activities as the main attraction. Food (47%) and affordability (44%) ranked second and third among the important criteria. Nightlife was important only to 13% of solo travelers surveyed.
In fact, almost three-quarters (74.6%) of travelers in this segment of the market said they simply wanted to “see the world” when asked about their travel motivation. Adventure (44%) and fun (40%) were the second and third most popular reasons for traveling, respectively. Meanwhile, 35.5% were seeking “connection,” while one in five (20.2%) were aiming for personal development.
Change to longer trips
Preferences for the duration of the trip reveal a shift towards longer, more immersive trips in 2026, with one- or two-week trips being the ideal choice. When asked how long they prefer to be away, the solo travelers seemed to prefer traveling:
- 63% prefer trips lasting 8-14 days
- 61% prefer 4-7 day trips
Short trips ranked much lower, with only 7.3% preferring 2-3 day getaways. While preferences for very long trips, over two weeks, are also shaped on the same wavelength, 7.6% of respondents indicated that they would choose such a trip.
