More than 100 agents are embracing the singles market by signing up to Someone2travelwith.com, a website that enables single travellers to find suitable holiday companions.
Travel agent Diane Denney has been developing the service for two years and it has now been upgraded to offer a wider range of holiday types and destinations.
Denny aims to boost the number of agents using the website by offering five free match credits and the chance to promote their business for three months free of charge.
Agents can enter their clients’ details and preferences and then receive emails from potential companions.
Gills Cruise Centre is among the agencies that have signed up, while operators Sunsail and Ramblers Worldwide Holidays are also using the service.
Denney is working on establishing a network of agencies where customers can have their identities verified. This means users of the site can be confident of their safety and agents have the chance to sell products and services.
Success stories have already been posted to the site, with users going skiing in France and diving in Guam in the Pacific Ocean.
Meanwhile, research from consultancy Foviance has shown singles aged between 31 and 45 struggle to find a suitable holiday.
In a survey of 530 respondents, half admitted they had chosen not to travel in the past to avoid the ‘typical singles holiday‘. A third did not travel because they had no one to go with and 10% said they were embarrassed to be single.
The travel industry is missing out on the singles market by not understanding its needs, said Foviance director Marty Caroll.
However, some companies are already addressing the issue. Fred Olsen Cruise Lines offers a number of single cabins and programmes geared towards single travellers. Meanwhile, P&O Cruises is to introduce single cabins on new ship Azura, the first in its fleet.