If you’re an American traveler, you’ve likely done this sort of calendar math, spotting where all the paid holidays fall this year and figuring out how to combine them with your own limited paid time off (PTO).
29.12.2023 - 22:43 / forbes.com
Taking your first solo trip is a rite of passage for a traveler. It gives you a chance to step outside of your comfort zone, deepen your sense of empowerment and independence, and spend your time exactly how you want.
But once you’ve summoned up the bravery to take a solo adventure, you’re faced with a big question: What’s the best place to travel alone?
Look no further than Japan. It was named the top solo travel destination for 2024 in a recent report from Flash Pack, a travel company that curates small group adventures for solo travelers age 30 to 50.
Interestingly, Flash Pack says Japan faces steep competition from another destination in Asia that’s gaining popularity with solo travelers in the coming year.
“Korea bookings will climb and replace Japan as one of our top bookings by the end of next year,” said Lee Thompson, co-founder and chief marketing officer at Flash Park, in the report. “Overall, we have seen a pre-pandemic boom to our Asia trips, and they are currently dominating our 2024 bookings. Japan saw massive tourism numbers this year that will continue into 2024, but we predict some will runoff into our Korean bookings.”
Japan’s far from the only place worth visiting on your own, though. Here’s a look at the 10 most popular solo travel destinations for 2024 among people in their 30s and 40s, according to Flash Pack.
Tourism to Japan boomed in 2023. The country saw record-breaking numbers of travelers from the U.S. and recently announced a “U.S.-Japan Tourism Year 2024” initiative—a first-of-its-kind partnership to promote tourism and cultural exchanges between the two countries—according to the Japan National Tourism Organization. So it should come as no surprise that Japan’s popularity is only expected to continue growing in the coming year.
According to Flash Pack’s report, some of the most popular experiences for solo travelers in Japan include having lunch with a sumo wrestler and meditating with monks in Kyoto.
Next up is Argentina, which is the second-most popular destination for solo travelers in 2024, based on Flash Pack bookings. It offers something for every type of traveler—fine dining and European-style architecture in Buenos Aires, dramatic icefalls and epic hiking in Los Glaciares National Park, horseback riding and vineyards in Mendoza, and history and culture in Córdoba.
Egypt took third on Flash Pack’s list of the trendiest solo travelers for the second year in a row—a surprising finding for the company, which noted that the country has traditionally been deemed as a riskier place for visitors to go on their own. For 2024, solo travelers to Egypt can look forward to visiting the brand new Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo, which will be the world’s largest archaeological
If you’re an American traveler, you’ve likely done this sort of calendar math, spotting where all the paid holidays fall this year and figuring out how to combine them with your own limited paid time off (PTO).
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It’s a common dilemma most travelers face when booking a dream vacation: how many days are you going stay in one place? It's a choice that can be the difference of having perfectly enjoyed the time in a city, and being somewhere just a little too long. This week, the dilemma spilled over into an online discourse on Reddit where hundreds of travelers weighed in on which cities require the most amount of days to visit, and which can be skipped over. One of the top cities that travelers felt needed extra time is Tokyo. The city has a population of 14 million across 847 sq. miles, while for comparison, New York City is only 468 sq miles. “Definitely Tokyo, if we're counting the Tokyo Metropolis. Just the city proper requires 10-14 days to explore its variety and sprawl,” one traveler wrote in support of the Japanese city in the tread.
easyJet and easyJet holidays have revealed the latest travel trends for 2024 as bookings took off during the first days of its biggest ever Big Orange Sale, offering up to 20% off over two million seats across Europe and up to £300 off package holidays until 5 February 2024. Flights to Amsterdam, Paris, Geneva, Alicante and Malaga from the UK proved to be the most popular during the sale’s first week, while Hurghada in Egypt, Rovaniemi in Lapland and Milan are among the destinations to have experienced the greatest rise in popularity compared to 2023. Since the launch of the sale, destinations including Prague, Nantes, Berlin, Bilbao and Verona also increased in popularity for Brits compared to 2023.