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From Me to We: Building Community Through Group Travel in 2025
- Jordana
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Gone are the days when escorted tours were only synonymous with large buses and rigid itineraries. Today’s group tours offer a more personalized experience, with itineraries that focus on off-the-beaten-path destinations, packed with free time to explore, and behind-the-scenes excursions. And if you're a solo traveller who covets their independence, but also likes to make like-minded new friends, group travel in 2025 has thousands of itineraries and destinations to throw on your bucketlist.
In saying that, I realize group travel will never be for everyone, but take it from a passionate solo-gallivanter-turned-group-lovin' galloper: Group travel means good times, great friends, and loads of belly laughs. Here are a few reasons why group travel might become your new favourite thing....
Unique Destinations Await
In 2024, statistics showed a remarkable 78% of travelers reported seeking unique destinations that aren’t part of the typical tourist path. Brands like G Adventures and Intrepid Travel specialize in itineraries that highlight local culture and off-the-beaten-path experiences. Whether you're on safari seeking pygmy elephants, gibbons and macaques in Borneo, ticking off Mongolia’s Naadam Festival from your bucketlist or enjoying a long-table dinner among new friends on the cliffs of Crete, escorted tours can put you front and centre to some of the most intimate and greatest shows on earth.
Cost Efficiency for Every Traveler
Inflation has driven the price of travel up substantially, not to mention the lack of inclusions now. Sometimes it feels like we're paying for oxygen on some of these airlines! Traveling can feel out of reach, especially when factoring in increased hotel, meals, and transportation costs. According to recent data, escorted tours can save travelers an average of 20% off the typical cost of arranging a trip independently. This is especially beneficial for ommunity-minded solo travelers who may find single supplements to be an added financial burden. With tour providers like Globus, Intrepid, and G Adventures, solo travellers can book their trips without the stress of finding a travel partner to share costs.
New Friends, New Adventures
Many of us are seeking community and connection. Traveling can feel isolating at times, especially when exploring unknown cultures and landscapes . One of the best aspects of guided tours is the opportunity to share in these exciting new experiences. As a solo traveller, this gives you the chance to forge friendships that can last well beyond the trip. Whether it’s sharing stories over dinner or teaming up for excursions, many find the bonds formed during guided tours are some of the highlights of their journeys.
Satisfaction Rates Soared in 2024
The satisfaction rate for travelers on guided tours has significantly increased in 2024, with studies indicating an impressive 92% of participants expressing happiness with their experiences. What does this mean? It means tour companies are taking traveller feedback seriously and customizing their product more than ever before! Enhanced itineraries, more engaging guides, emphasis on local economy enhancement and traveller immersion, group tour companies have become more agile and we are here for it!
Themed Trips Build Even MORE Connection
Theme trips aren't necessarily a new thing, but group travel has gone far beyond wine tours, religious-focused pilgrimages and women-only travel. You can choose a 'Set-Jet' tour around the most beloved Outlander or Downtown Abbey filming locales; Experience Black Heritage Travel across several continents; Party like a vampire at Bran Castle for Halloween; Or cross over with the ancestors for Day of the Dead in Oaxaca; Whatever your interests, hobbies or passions, there is likely a tour out there for you and others to bond over.
Ok, Have I Convinced You Yet?
Some of my fondest travel memories are with strangers who became friends over hundreds of miles. I now have an extensive network of fabulous humans across 39 countries that I can visit and stay with.
Trust me, group travel is whatever you make of it, but you're fully supported by tour companies and local guides who WANT you to experience their homelands in a way that never leaves you.
And if you're still a little nervous about joining your first group tour, come travelling with ME! I'm escorting a group to Sri Lanka in 2026 (*wink wink, nudge, nudge!)
The world is waiting for you; your journey starts now!
If you’re intrigued by the idea of exploring amazing destinations while forming lasting memories with new friends, check out these tried, tested and proven tour providers like G Adventures, Intrepid Travel, and Globus. Each company provides a unique set of travel styles, offers hundreds of itineraries around the world, and has won countless awards for their philnathropic and meaningful work in the destinations they explore.
I look forward to working with you on your next 2025, 2026 0r 2027 group trip!
