Just because a friend or partner isn't free when you want to go on holidaydoesn't mean you have to pay a supplement and feel miserable alone. Travelcompanies are organising group trips which will solve the problem
Singletons who shudder at the prospect of couples canoodling over cocktails in Costa del Gooseberry are increasingly looking for alternatives when they holiday alone.
In Northern Ireland, singles tour operator Friendship Travel reports that generation Bridget Jones is avoiding the single supplement, complete with broom-cupboard accommodation, by choosing holidays that cater specifically for the unattached individual.
"We have seen an increase in demand for our products," says Colum McLornan who runs Friendship Travel, a singles tour operator in Northern Ireland, with his business partner Julie Ann Scott.
More people than ever are single in Ireland and the UK. British government statistics reveal that one in 10 women and one in six men in Britain are likely to remain single all their lives. The Republic is Frienship Travel's second biggest market after England, with Northern Ireland singles slower to take the plunge.
"We cater for single people but also for those who just want to holiday alone," says McLornan. He makes the point that single travellers are not only those without a significant other.
"Some take separate breaks because of work commitments or different holiday interests . . . one person likes skiing, the other hates it, there could be any number of reasons," he says.
The 18-30 style vacation it is not. "We are not a dating agency, we are a tour operator for like-minded people who want a relaxing, good quality holiday that they don't have to pay through the nose for just because they are going alone."
Most of his clients are professional people between the ages of 30 and 55.
The company uses mainly four-star hotels and only those that don't charge single supplements. Since the events of September 11th, more hotels in more exotic locations - Jamaica and Barbados both feature in the brochure along with Turkey, Greece and other more usual suspects - are welcoming singles at no extra cost.
"Because of the downturn in business, more hotels are willing to waive the single supplement." He says they use smaller hotels or villa accommodation and as a result theirs is often the only group of residents, which adds to the exclusivity of the holiday.
Caroline (36), a single woman from Holywood Co Down, could not find friends to go on holiday with last year and decided to try a singles trip in Turkey, despite her reservations.
"I didn't want an experience where I was going to be paired off with somebody, but I decided to give it a go. I would not have been interested if there was a sense that this was all about finding romance. I just wanted a good holiday, with company there if I wanted it," she says.
McLornan and his staff normally help with the running of the hotel and cooked an evening meal for the 11 guests (they were the only ones there) every night. "It was great to be able to get together for dinner with a group of people instead of being out on your own . . . it was nice to have that choice," says Caroline.
"They may be a wee bit over the top in terms of looking after you, they keep an eye on you and you feel you have to let them know where you are going and what you are doing, but sometimes that is no bad thing." Caroline wasn't looking for romance, but had a brief holiday encounter nevertheless, though not with anyone in the group.
Not everyone on single holidays is unattached. James (39) has a girlfriend who is a teacher with limited time off.
"I think everyone realises that with today's hectic lifestyle there are times your friends cannot get the same days off work . . . sometimes you just need a holiday and I got that with no strings attached," he says. What he enjoyed most about his singles-style holiday in Lanzarote was the freedom.
"There was no pressure to conform to anything or anyone," he says.
"I preferred to travel with this kind of tour operator and have company in the evening for meals rather than sitting in the hotel by myself. My girlfriend didn't mind me going; if anything, she was jealous that I was heading off to the sun and she had to stay at home."
The twin holiday bugbears of single people - hidden charges and the social stigma of travelling alone - are eliminated by this type of trip. Steve was introduced to the concept by the mother of a good friend who had just separated from her husband after a long marriage. She used Small World, a subsidiary of the UK operator, First Choice, and came home with a report that encouraged single Steve to try it.
"I have been on a standard 'family package' holiday (paying the single supplement) before and always dreaded the moment when you went to eat and felt the eyes of the other diners eyeing up 'johnny no mates'," he says, cringing at the memory. He has now been on a dozen singles holidays, some with the Northern Ireland-based company.
"It is surprising how quickly people mix and get on with sharing the enjoyment of the holiday. The hosts were regularly available with local knowledge, without being overbearing."
Steve has a tip for anyone considering taking the leap into the liberating world of singles holidays. "There seems to be a common factor with those taking their first singles holiday in that they always bring lots of books to read . . . most of them go home unread," he warns.
Useful websites:
www.friendshiptravel.com and www.smallworldholidays.com
