Encounter Travel is about to celebrate its 20th anniversary, marking two decades as a pioneer of group travel for solo travellers in Australia.
Founded on August 24, 2006, by Justine Waddington, the company led the way in creating small group tours for solo travellers.
Ms Waddington recognised from her own experience that the industry had ignored a significant traveller, one who was on their own but didn’t want to travel that way.
Ms Waddington (left), who has also authored a book on solo travel, said two decades in this space has been driven by a passion for the solo traveller that doesn’t want to travel alone.
“I’m incredibly proud of where we started and where we are today, with departures across more than 50 countries,” she added.
“When I started this business, there was very little out there for people who didn’t have a travel buddy but didn’t want to go it alone.
“They were joining tours full of couples and feeling like the odd one out, or they just weren’t travelling at all. That’s the gap we filled and we’re still here filling it 20 years on.”
Today Encounter Travel operates small group tours, resort escapes and ocean and river cruise groups exclusively for solo travellers. The company works with a network of travel agents across Australia who sell its product alongside direct bookings.
“We led the way for something the industry wasn’t doing and we’ve never stopped,” said Ms Waddington.
The profile of the solo traveller has also shifted over two decades. Ms Waddington said the company’s travellers were originally more strongly represented by people in their 40s.
“Today the strongest demand is from people in their 50s and over, with our biggest cohort in their 60s. These are travellers who are not prepared to stop seeing the world because they don’t have a travel buddy.”
Ms Waddington said the appetite from solo travellers continues to grow.
“There is a whole generation of Australians in their 50s, 60s and beyond who want to see the world and don’t have someone to go with. For agents looking to develop this in their client base, there’s never been a better time.”
