According to industry experts, Cyprus has become a prime destination for individuals traveling alone.
Indeed, a recent report by holiday specialists Mercury Holidays revealed that the island is among the top three destinations for the solo traveler, now considered a new – and growing – category in global tourism.
Malta tops the list of holiday hotspots for the independent traveler, followed by Cyprus and Madeira. Mercury Holidays affirms that bookings for such solo holidays has increased some 18% year-on-year, and is expected to further grow in popularity in the months to come.
In fact, the study – which was conducted earlier in the year in 25 countries, involving 13,603 travelers aged 18 and above – found that one in five persons have travelled on their own on their most recent leisure trip, while an increasing number of women have chosen to travel alone in 2015.
“Whilst there’s a general tendency to perceive single travellers as being young and single, the evidence actually shows that they’re more likely to be married or in a long-term relationship,” commented Martin Bugeja, Founder and Chairman of Mercury Holidays. “A lot of people will no doubt be surprised at this trend, but what we’ve come to find is that you can’t easily categorise single travellers.”
For instance, she continued, the research discovered that women were more likely to travel abroad independently than men, and people of all ages have booked a holiday with the agency through its many ‘single’ deals, which include a variety of offers in Cyprus.
Paphos aims to make the most of this trend, according to Nasos Hadjigeorgiou, head of the Paphos regional board of tourism. Individual travellers are considered a top priority, he said, as they represent a very important segment of the tourism market.
“We are actively targeting individual travellers as they are generally not travelling on an all-inclusive basis, they don’t fly in on package deals, and they are good for the economy as they spend money outside their hotels.”
Hadjigeorgiou has noted an increase in solo travelers in the markets which have direct flights to Cyprus, including the UK, Germany and other central European countries. Paphos offers these tourists many opportunities to satisfy their travel needs, he continued. “There are many experiences to enjoy here such as land excursions to all different areas of the Paphos district, as well as different themes such as wine tours, religious and city tours and archaeological interests. Many of these can be undertaken by public bus or by travel service providers.”
Hotels which aim to offer more to individual travelers are on the right track for the future, the Paphos tourism board head affirmed.