How Solo Travel Among Asian and Western Globetrotters Differs

The results of a new global survey reveal a big age gap when it comes solo Asian and Western travelers. According to the results of the "Family Travel Trends 2018" survey conducted by YouGov for online booking site Agoda, solo travelers from Asia are likely to be younger than their counterparts from the West.

The findings are based on the results of a global survey that polled more than 10,784 respondents around the world between January 2018 and September 2018. Overall, 41 percent of solo Asian travelers fell into the Millennial group (26-38) while 38 percent were Gen Zers (18-25). Those numbers are in stark contrast to the West, where solo travel was most prevalent among Baby Boomers (39 percent) and Generation Xers (24 percent).

Along with being older, solo travelers in the West tend to take longer vacations, likely because they've racked up more disposable income than their younger cohorts. While the most common trip length is four to seven nights for Western solo travelers, that's down to one to three nights for solo travelers from Asia.

Travelers from Western countries are also twice as likely than Asian travelers to embark on trips that last 14 nights or more. According to Agoda's internal booking data, the most popular destination for solo travelers among Asians is Bangkok, Thailand, while London tops the list for solo Western travel.

For the purposes of the report, Asia is defined as China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The West is defined as the UK, US and Australia.

Here are the top destinations for solo travelers from Asia:

1. Bangkok, Thailand

2. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

3. Tokyo, Japan

4. Singapore

5. Hong Kong

6. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

7. Manila, Philippines

8. Bali, Indonesia

9. Jakarta, Indonesia

10. Chiang Mai, Thailand

Top destinations for solo Western travelers:

1. London, UK

2. Tokyo, Japan

3. Sydney, Australia

4. Melbourne, Australia

5. New York, USA

6. Bangkok, Thailand

7. Los Angeles, USA

8. Las Vegas, USA

9. Singapore

10. Paris, France