Mercury Holidays to expand solo portfolio as sales surge

Mercury Holidays will expand its solo tours portfolio next year, after seeing a 55% year-on-year increase in bookings for the programme.

 

The operator currently offers 24 dedicated solo group tours, each with a private room as standard and no single supplement.

 

It will launch six additional solo itineraries for 2026, which will be available to book from January.

 

India is the most popular destination, representing almost 30% of all solo bookings in the past month.

 

Vietnam is the second most booked destination, accounting for 15% of solo tours this year.

 

China is experiencing rising interest and is now the third most popular destination for solo travellers.

 

Morocco is the leading short-haul destination, representing 12% of solo bookings and showing significant year-on-year growth.

 

Chris Armond, chief marketing officer at Mercury Holidays, said: “Solo escorted tours continue to attract travellers who value the flexibility to explore independently, combined with the reassurance of a professionally organised itinerary.

 

“Our tours to India, Vietnam and China are especially popular with solo guests who want to immerse themselves in new cultures without the stress of organising the trip themselves.

 

“Travelling as part of a small group with a local guide provides both confidence and companionship, which resonates strongly with this audience.

 

“With solo travel becoming an increasingly important part of our business, we are committed to growing our portfolio and supporting our agent partners with a wider range of commissionable, easy-to-sell solo products.”

 

The new tours will be designed to appeal to the over-60s demographic, which remains a core growth segment for the brand and for the wider travel trade.