Holidays With Me, Myself And I Give Women A Self Esteem Boost

-- Findings from the Booking.com Solo Travel Report reveal that as a result of traveling alone, women feel more confident

- Half of women more likely to holiday alone now than they were five years ago*

- 65% of women say they feel more confident when taking a trip by themselves

- Women travelers claim social media empowers them to have a richer solo travel experience

AMSTERDAM, April 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- With thoughts starting to turn toward summer holidays and vacations, findings released today as part of the first Solo Travel Report commissioned by Booking.com, has revealed half of female solo travel enthusiasts (50%) are now more likely to holiday alone than they were five years ago. Whilst it might be the assumption that solo travel could be about an escape from everyday mundane life, the report showed that these women are more inclined to want to get away from it all to experience new cultures, with two thirds (65%) saying they actually feel more confident when taking a trip by themselves.

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Findings from the market wide report also highlighted how these women find solo travel more of an empowering experience than a daunting one, with nearly two thirds (63%) saying they feel more energized and refreshed after taking a trip by themselves, than opposed to going away with others. Booking.com is here to empower these travelers, solo or otherwise, and provide them with reassurance when it comes to planning, researching and booking accommodation.

Social media also appears to play a pivotal role when it comes to these women's confidence in being able to go on holiday by themselves. Two-thirds (66%) keep in touch with friends and family back home whilst away. Nearly one in two (49%) also state social media allows them to unearth unusual places to go, thus fuelling their confidence to visit destinations on their own.

The Booking.com Solo Travel Report concluded the trend also looks set to grow with over half (51%) of female solo travel fans saying they plan to do so again in the next 12 months. This number rises when current female users of Booking.com were interviewed in a separate survey, up to 61%.** This is perhaps down to the fact that over half of those users (54%) enjoy the freedom and independence that solo travel brings.

Additionally, over 80% of female Booking.com users interviewed separately claim they feel more confident when taking a trip by themselves. A number of factors are thought to be at play here, including the reassurance obtained by using a trusted site to book their accommodation.

"Our research suggests that female solo travel is a phenomenon that is here to stay," comments Paul Hennessy, CMO at Booking.com. "Booking.com is at the heart of all travel planning, and gives us all that comfort we need when making our accommodation bookings. The Booking.com platform is committed to empower all travelers , no matter whether you're going it alone or with friends, with the ability to book with confidence anywhere in the world, thanks to our destination finder and 27 million reviews."

With more than 25 different accommodation varieties and over 450,000 properties in 200 countries, Booking.com has the best accommodation offering in the world, ensuring that women traveling alone can feel confident that they will get it right everytime they book a trip away.

'Brianless', the latest Booking.com TVC, celebrates the empowerment of the woman solo-traveler. The film tells the story of Jen, who loves her partner Brian, but doesn't necessarily love the same type of holiday as he does. Will she miss him or will this be her vacation of a lifetime?

'Brianless' was created by Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam and will air across the UK and US, as well as on Booking.com's YouTube channel, from Monday 28 April, 2014.

Click HERE to view and link to the 'Brianless' 30 second film.

*Survey conducted by Vision Critical of men and women, 25-45, who have traveled in the last 12 months from the United Kingdom, USA, Canada, Australia and Germany, April 2014

**Findings from a poll of Booking.com users, conducted April 2014

About Booking.com:

Booking.com is the world leader in booking hotel and other accommodations online. It guarantees the best prices for any type of property – from small independents to five-star luxury. Guests can access the Booking.com website anytime, anywhere from their desktops, mobile phones and tablet devices, and they don't pay booking fees – ever. The Booking.com website is available in 42 languages, offers more than 450,000 hotels and accommodations in 200 countries, features 27+ million reviews written by guests after their stay, and attracts online visitors from both leisure and business markets around the globe. With over 17 years of experience and a team of over 6,500 dedicated employees in 115+ offices worldwide, Booking.com operates its own in-house customer service team, which is available 24/7 to assist guests in their native languages and ensure an exceptional customer experience.

Established in 1996, Booking.com B.V. owns and operates Booking.com™, and is part of The Priceline Group (NASDAQ: PCLN). Follow us on Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest, like us on Facebook, or learn more at http://www.booking.com.