Solo-washing?
Solo Traveler has been serving solo travelers for 16 years. That's sixteen years of providing information, inspiration, and advocacy for those who love or long to travel alone.
Over that time, the world of solo travel has changed dramatically. What was once considered “weird” is now cool. We solo travelers—once overlooked by the industry—have become a hot demographic. Travel companies are finally paying attention.
That’s the good news.
The bad news? Some of them are just pretending to cater to solo travelers.
As I’ve been casting a wide net researching tours, cruises, accommodations, and experiences for Tracey’s List, I’ve noticed a trend. Some companies are marketing to solo travelers, but their offerings aren’t actually designed with us in mind. They’re using solo-friendly language to attract our attention, without backing it up with solo-friendly value.
I call it solo-washing.
Examples of Solo-Washing: A Travel Industry Bait and Switch
Don't get me wrong. We have worked with excellent tour and cruise companies for many years who have listened and responded to our advocacy on your behalf and who are committed to treating solo travelers well.
Solo-washing is when companies claim to cater to solo travelers but do things like bury a high supplement deep in the booking process. The double occupancy price is always displayed front and center. Time is wasted wading through the website only to discover at the point of purchase that the offer hits solo travelers hard for being solo.
Tour and cruise companies are doing it. The trips promoted by our advertisers on our website and in our newsletters cannot exceed a 20% supplement, but many companies promote trips as being for solo travelers that have a much higher supplement. Worse, some companies don't let you know the supplement until you share your contact information and wait for an email or get on the phone with them.
Hotels are doing it as well. Some are advertising rooms “purpose-built for solo travelers.” Sounds great–until you look closer. Some claim to have created rooms specifically for solo travelers but make them a fraction of the size at an even higher price point. I found one room that was 32 ft², no windows, and so small you could spread your arms and touch both walls at once. Another was the size of a walk-in closet, with a single bed and a price tag of nearly $500/night.
That is not serving solo travelers well. That is paying lip service to reel you in, then offering you the same old, same old.
You deserve better.
Our Efforts to Do Better by Solo Travelers
Janice and I base everything we share on our own experiences and the experiences of members of our Solo Traveler community, research, and fact-checking. There is no artifical intelligence involved.
When it comes to helping you find great trips for solo travelers, we have created several resources over the years:
- All Trips page in 2010
- Searchable Trips page in 2021
- Tracey's List in 2024
The popularity of solo travel and the rise of solo-washing is why Tracey’s List exists. I spend many, many hours every month digging through the marketing claims, reading the fine print, and finding the real deals–the ones that respect solo travelers and offer true value.
You can
- Sign up for Tracey’s List to get my curated picks every month.
- Sign up for our free newsletter to get the list of trips with no/low single supplement in your inbox.
Whether you're new to solo travel or have been doing it for years, we’re here for you. Always have been. Always will be. Here’s to many more years of exploring the world on your own terms!
Note to tour companies: If you offer single supplement-free trips for solo travelers, you are welcome to submit a link to one trip per month for consideration on Tracey's List. There are no guarantees, it will simply be added to the very large pot of trips that I analyze for my shortlist. There is no advertising or any commercial influence on Tracey's List, but we do offer a range of advertising options with Solo Traveler for trips with zero-20% max supplements. You can find out more about that here.
