• The offering comes as easyJet Holidays announce 83% uplift in demand for solo travel packages on Valentine’s Day
• The female empowerment movement and rise of the ‘lonely man’ cited as reasons for the uplift
• A quarter of Gen Z find the thought of a romantic break cringe-worthy and 1 in 5 have regretted a holiday with a partner
• Top destinations for solo travel this love season revealed as Spanish hotspots: Tenerife, Costa Blanca and Lanzarote

easyJet Holidays has launched self-love solo packages dubbed ‘Solidays’ for Valentine’s day, aimed at those who want to treat themselves this Love Season. The travel provider has made the move due to the increased demand for solo-travel.

easyJet Holidays has reported an 83% year on year uplift in single travellers on Valentine’s Day, who are seeking out the perfect solo-travel package. The holiday provider will also offer a huge £100 discount for solo-travellers in a bid to back singles who want to practise some self-love rather than a romantic break for Valentine’s Day.

It is predicted to be a welcomed change for consumers, as historically couples are usually the ones to receive the best travel savings, whilst singles are often left feeling penalised when it comes to booking a trip.

A study of 2,000 UK adults revealed a significant number of Brits are planning on a solo-trip this year. Nearly half (46%) of Brits plan to spend money on themselves travelling in 2023.

When it comes to why the nation are longing for self-love ‘Solidays’, 1 in 5 of respondents claim they have regretted taking a romantic trip in the past.

Embarrassing habits such as public rows (21%), getting too drunk at dinner (15%), smelly bathroom habits (10%) and being forced to watch sports abroad (13%) are the biggest turn offs for travelling with a partner.

Uncovering a generational shift in holidaying behaviours, a quarter of Gen Z would go as far as calling romantic getaways ‘cringeworthy’, with a huge 76% of under 23-year-olds reporting they have taken or planned to take a Soliday.

Amongst males, a lack of a partner was a big driver to booking solo holidays.  No doubt due to the rise in the ‘lonely man’ trend, as a staggering two thirds (68%) of women cited higher standards in relationships as the reason they have started to travel alone. 

72% referenced the female empowerment movement, and a further 18% cited Emma Watson’s ‘self-partnering’ ethos as a source of inspiration for shunning romantic getaways and embracing solo travel.

Interestingly, men are also beginning to feel more empowered to take single holidays, perhaps taking inspiration from the modern independent woman. Trends such as #solotravels on TikTok are seeing a rise with male travellers filming their backpacking holidays.

Travel experts have revealed that solo travellers traditionally end up paying 90% more than those in couples when booking a trip*. Designed to cater to growing demand of holidaying alone, the Soliday discount from easyJet Holidays the £100 discount is aimed at encouraging adventurous, single Brits to follow their wanderlust, without letting the lack of a partner hold them back.

easyJet Holiday’s recommendations for the best ‘Solidays’ to redeem the discount against can be found at https://www.easyjet.com/en/holidays/solo-holidays

The top 10 Solidays, according to easyJet Holidays travel data:

1. Tenerife
2. Costa Blanca, Spain
3. Lanzarote
4. Majorca
5. Algarve, Portugal
6. Fuerteventura
7. Tunisia
8. Malta
9. Dalaman, Turkey
10. Antalya, Turkey

Paul Bixby, Commercial Director at easyJet Holidays comments: “We’re committed to providing brilliant holidays at unbeatable prices for everyone, including our customers who prefer to fly solo.

“It’s clear that there’s a rising trend in solo travel, which is why we’re showing some love to our single customers this Valentine’s Day, offering a special deal for those looking to plan a voyage of self-discovery, or just enjoy some well-earned me-time.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:    

*This research of 2,000 UK adults was commissioned by easyJet Holidays and conducted by 3Gem during February 2023

**Which? study in February 2023: https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/solo-single-travellers-pay-more-holidays-b2260256.html

About easyJet Holidays:

easyJet holidays offers great-value beach, city and lakes holidays to more than 100 destinations across Europe, directly through its website and through over 3000 travel agent partners. The ATOL-protected holidays company combines easyJet’s flexible flight programme, with handpicked hotels and best-in-class technology to provide hassle-free personalised holiday experiences which can be secured with a deposit of just £60 per person. The holidays operator is an ABTA member too, providing additional reassurance to customers under the UK’s most trusted travel scheme. With a range of holiday types, from adult and family to luxury and undiscovered, transfers included on beach holidays, 23kg hold luggage included on all bookings, and over 5,000 hotels, across over 500 resorts, customers can holiday the way they want.

All easyJet holidays are covered by its Protection Promise, an industry leading policy giving customers ultimate flexibility, protection and reassurance and letting them book with total confidence. The Promise offers a refund guarantee, freedom to change a booking, a reduced balance due date, a Best Price Guarantee, and deposit refunds.

In 2021 easyJet holidays launched its inaugural sustainability strategy focusing on three key pillars – create better holiday choices which is about making sustainable travel affordable and accessible to everyone; keep our holidays special which is maximising the benefits and minimising the negative impacts of travel and tourism, and transform travel for everyone which means embedding sustainability into business decisions and behaviours and driving meaningful change in the industry. Through ongoing collaboration with the Travel Foundation, the University of Oxford, and as a member of the GSTC, easyJet holidays is focused on building its research, partnerships and certifications, and taking action to make a positive impact on the people and places that make its destinations so special.