Top 10 Solo Travel Destinations, According to Airbnb
A lack of travel companion should never be a reason for passing up a once-in-a-lifetime trip abroad. As long as you exercise caution when traveling solo, the experience of backpacking through Europe or touring exotic locales in Thailand will reward you with countless memories (and Instagram photos). In fact, more people are traveling solo than ever, according to a new report from Airbnb.
Emerging hotspots include destinations like Buenos Aires, Toronto and Oslo with solo travelers booking anywhere from 14% to 27% of available Airbnbs. At the top of the list is Cancun, typically known more as a party hub than a destination for people traveling alone, which has led the most growth for solo bookings with an increase of 170% in 2016. Independent travelers are also drawn to cities in the southern hemisphere like Auckland, New Zealand and Johannesburg, South Africa.
Trekking alone can be an empowering experience that elicits a sense of independence. There are other perks too, like operating on your own schedule; here's to eating breakfast for dinner and snapping pictures without any judgement and creating your own itinerary. Spent a week in Paris and are now in the mood for Budapest? Not a problem — go ahead and book that same-day flight.
Airbnb also revealed which "Experiences" — a feature that's available for travelers to navigate new cities with help from locals — solo travelers were booking on the app. Some of the most popular included kitesurfing in Los Angeles to learning how to make paella in Spain and biking through Parisian streets, exploring local markets. If you haven't already — and we highly suggest jetting off alone in the future — check out the list below and plan ahead. Here, Airbnb's trending solo travel destinations based on growth (%) in single-person home bookings in 2016:
| Rank | Destination | Growth |
|---|---|---|
1. | Cancun, Mexico | 170% |
2. | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam | 146% |
3. | Cologne, Germany | 142% |
4. | Playa Del Carmen, Mexico | 141% |
5. | Johannesburg, South Africa | 135% |
6. | São Paulo, Brazil | 128% |
7. | Auckland, New Zealand | 114% |
8. | Mexico City, Mexico | 109% |
9. | Charlotte, North Carolina | 106% |
10. | Busan, South Korea | 103% |
Are you traveling solo anytime soon? Let us know in the comments, below!
Featured Image Courtesy of Airbnb
TPG featured card
Rewards
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
Rewards Rate
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month