Culture | You can go your own way Travel buddies are out; solo trips are in More people are going on holiday alone See for yourself May 12th 2025 INTREPID YOUNGSTERS have long ventured abroad in search of edification and excitement. In 1608 Thomas Coryat, an Englishman sometimes called “the world’s first backpacker”, embarked on a Grand Tour of Europe. Friendless and on foot, Coryat discovered foreign delicacies (“frogs used for food”) and newfangled technologies (“forks used in feeding”). 年輕無畏的冒險者長久以來便遠赴他鄉，追求學習與刺激。1608 年，英國人湯瑪斯‧科里亞特（Thomas Coryat）展開了一場歐洲大旅行，他有時被稱為「世界上第一位背包客」。科里亞特孤身一人、徒步旅行，發現了異國的美食（「用來吃的青蛙」）和新奇的科技（「用來吃飯的叉子」）。 Four centuries later, **nomads **move faster and farther than Coryat did, for cheap flights and mobile phones have made things more straightforward. Yet many are following his lead and setting off alone. In the past decade Google searches for “solo travel” have more than doubled. In Britain the share of travellers going on holiday by themselves has nearly tripled, says the Association of British Travel Agents, from 6% in 2011 to 17% in 2024. 四個世紀後，如今的遊牧者移動得比科里亞特更快、更遠，因為廉價機票與行動電話讓旅途變得更簡單。然而，許多人仍然追隨他的腳步，選擇獨自出發。過去十年中，「單人旅行」（solo travel）這個關鍵字的 Google 搜尋量已超過兩倍。在英國，根據英國旅行業協會（Association of British Travel Agents），獨自出遊的旅客比例從 2011 年的 6% 增加至 2024 年的 17%，幾乎成長了三倍。 Why are so many people going it alone? Just as Grand Tours became a rite of passage for young noblemen, solo travel today is less about finding far-flung places than finding yourself. Hilton, a hospitality company, calls the trend “me-mooning” (as opposed to “honeymooning”). Travel bloggers attest that on white-sand beaches in Bali or Belize you can “become a truer version of yourself”. 為什麼越來越多人選擇獨自旅行？就像過去的歐洲大旅行成為年輕貴族的一種成年儀式，現代的單人旅行已不再只是為了探索遙遠的地方，而是為了探索自我。飯店集團希爾頓（Hilton）稱這股趨勢為「me-mooning」（自我蜜月），與「honeymooning」（蜜月旅行）相對。旅遊部落客也見證，在峇里島或貝里斯的白沙灘上，你可以「成為更真實的自己」。 Those not searching for themselves are looking for an adventure. People “travel not to go anywhere, but to go”, as Robert Louis Stevenson, the author of “Treasure Island”, put it. Solo travellers describe the thrill of doing whatever they want, whenever they want. Research has shown that self-imposed solitude can boost creativity and well-being. 那些不是在尋找自我的人，則是在追求冒險。正如《金銀島》作者羅伯特·路易斯·史蒂文森所說，人們「旅行不是為了抵達某地，而是為了出發」。獨自旅行者形容，那種隨心所欲、想做什麼就做什麼的自由令人興奮。研究顯示，主動選擇的獨處可以提升創造力與整體福祉。 And, rather than hanging out with the mates they have, many travel alone in order to meet new friends and lovers. The isolation of the pandemic made people “more open” to roaming with strangers, says Lee Thompson of Flash Pack, a tour operator. The firm, which uses the slogan “arrive solo, leave as friends”, now takes twice as many bookings as it did before covid-19. 此外，許多人選擇獨自旅行，不是因為沒有朋友陪伴，而是希望認識新的朋友與戀人。旅遊公司 Flash Pack 的李‧湯普森（Lee Thompson）表示，疫情期間的孤立讓人們變得「更願意」與陌生人一同出遊。該公司以「獨自出發，結伴而歸」為口號，如今的訂單數量是疫情前的兩倍。 **Millennials and Gen Z **(Millennials (born approximately 1981-1996) and Generation Z (born 1997-early/mid 2000s)) are particularly keen on travelling: they spend a larger share of their income on trips than their older peers do, says McKinsey, a consultancy. Many are deferring getting married and having children, so have the flexibility to head off on jaunts when they please. On TikTok influencers preach the virtues of independent excursions: “Stop waiting for someone to join you.” 麥肯錫顧問公司指出，千禧世代與 Z 世代對旅行特別熱衷：他們將較大比例的收入花在旅行上，相較於年長一輩更為積極。由於許多人延後結婚與生育，因此擁有更多彈性，能隨時出發展開小旅行。在 TikTok 上，網紅們大力宣揚獨自旅行的好處：「別再等別人一起出發了。」 Women, in particular, are embracing that mantra: by one estimate, 84% of solo travellers are female. A century ago etiquette books warned women not to travel without a male chaperone; today many say they are not afraid to travel unaccompanied (though safety tips are readily available online). Much as Coryat did 400 years ago, women today have the means, and the time, to follow their feet. ■ 女性尤其擁抱這種理念：根據某項估計，獨自旅行者中有高達 84% 是女性。一百年前，禮儀書還警告女性不可在沒有男性陪同的情況下旅行；而如今，許多女性表示她們不再害怕獨自上路（儘管網路上仍有大量安全建議可供參考）。就如同 400 年前的科里亞特一樣，現代女性擁有足夠的資源與時間，能夠隨心所欲，踏上旅途。 -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

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