Travel

The dreaded single supplement is a true trip killer. Tour operators look at the single traveller as a revenue drain, compared to funds netted with pairs that book. With hotels basing rates on double occupancy, solo participants take on the burden of making up the financial shortfall. Travel costs for them can be double or more for the same vacation packages .

Many would rather stay home than feel like they are being punished for not having a companion, or not wanting to bring them along. Single supplements send the wrong message. Translated, they are akin to: We don t want you on the trip, unless you re willing to compensate us financially.

It s not the tour operators fault. Hotel rooms are designed with twos in their brains. It is difficult to find a hotel that even offers single rooms. And far too often, restaurants view the solo traveller as someone who is not going to linger, drink, and ring up a significant bill. Singles rhyme off all the times they were seated in a back dark corner, while pairs sat up front at sunny tables.

You can argue that there are so many more travel services that cater to solo travellers, and that is true. Many tour operators kindly pair up singles with other singles so that travel costs are kept in check. But that has some drawbacks. People are like chemicals - some mix well together, and some don t. Being placed in an intimate setting such as a hotel room and having a complete stranger seeing you in your big, support-top, grandma-like underwear isn t a fun time.

The less-than-stellar treatment of singles is biting the travel industry on its butt. It may be losing an opportunity to tap into a market that is becoming increasingly powerful. Singles now make up more than 25 per cent of the population. To encourage their travel, and have them feeling comfortable doing so, requires a major attitude adjustment that can be translated in solo friendly accommodations and tour packages. There s nothing wrong with wanting to be alone and exploring the world on one s own. Garbo would have been proud.