Solo Travel Is Booming — Here’s Why More Launceston Travellers Are Going It Alone

Solo travel isn’t a niche trend anymore — it’s one of the biggest shifts we’re seeing in the travel industry right now. More than one in four travellers are planning a solo trip this year, and nearly six in ten have taken one in the past five years. Solo travellers are also spending more per trip than couples, not less — they’re not cutting corners, they’re prioritising the experience.

We’re seeing it here in Launceston too. Retirees ticking off a long-held dream once the kids are grown. Professionals in their 30s and 40s using annual leave for a trip that’s entirely their own. Younger travellers in their 20s, newly confident and keen to see the world before life gets more complicated. The reasons vary, but the pattern is the same: more people are deciding that “I’ll go when I have someone to go with” isn’t a good enough reason to keep waiting.

Why the Sudden Surge?

A few things are driving it. Flexible and remote work means holidays no longer have to be squeezed around someone else’s schedule. Social media has normalised the idea — solo travellers sharing real trips have replaced the old assumption that travelling alone is sad or unsafe. And after a few years of uncertainty, a lot of people have simply re-prioritised what matters, and experiences are near the top of that list.

Whatever the reason someone in Launceston decides it’s time to go, we’ve noticed one thing stays consistent: solo travellers ask more questions before they book, not fewer. Which airline is genuinely reliable on that route. Which hotel is actually walkable to the old town at night. Whether that tour group skews toward families or toward other solo travellers. It’s exactly the kind of detail a booking website can’t answer — and exactly the kind of detail we can.

The Single Supplement Problem

One thing that catches first-time solo travellers off guard is the “single supplement” — the extra fee cruise lines and tour operators charge when you’re not sharing a cabin or room with a second person. It can add hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars to a trip.

This is one of the clearest reasons to book through a local agent rather than a website. We know which cruise lines and operators run solo-friendly deals, waive the supplement during certain sailings, or offer dedicated single cabins at a fair price. We can steer you toward the operators that actually want solo travellers on board — instead of the ones that quietly penalise you for travelling alone.

Solo Doesn’t Mean Unsupported

Here’s the part we think matters most, and it’s the part that’s easy to overlook when you’re excited about booking a trip: travelling alone means there’s no one else across the table if something goes wrong. No partner to help you rebook a cancelled flight at 2am. No family member to call the hotel when your room booking has vanished. No one else to make the decision when you’re standing in an unfamiliar airport, unwell or unsure what to do next.

That’s exactly why every client of ours — solo or otherwise — is given a direct after-hours mobile number the moment they book. Not a call centre queue. Not an overseas chatbot. A real person from our team, who knows your itinerary and can actually help, any time of day or night.

We’ve talked clients through cancelled flights, medical emergencies, and natural disasters overseas — including situations where the traveller was completely on their own at the time. Having someone in your corner who already knows your booking makes an enormous difference in those moments. For solo travellers particularly, we hear again and again that this is the detail that made them feel comfortable booking their first trip alone.

We’ve Been Doing This Since 1989

Launceston Travel & Cruise Centre has been a family-owned, locally run agency for more than 35 years — founded by Mark Brown, and run today by his sons Andrew and Baden. We’re not a franchise or a call centre, and we’re not going anywhere. Our team has travelled extensively, including plenty of solo travel of our own, so we’re not just booking your trip from a brochure — we understand what you’re about to do and why it matters.

If you’ve been thinking about a trip of your own — whether it’s your first solo adventure or your fifth — we’d love to help you plan it properly, find the right deal, and make sure you’ve got support in your corner the whole way.

Call us on 03 6332 1222. Open Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm. Located at Holyman House, 54 Brisbane Street, Launceston.

Or book an appointment online — no obligation, just a conversation.

Launceston Travel & Cruise Centre — Northern Tasmania’s longest-running locally owned travel agency, since 1989.