Advisor Insights: Elena Cortesi – Solo Travel is Soaring

As the new year begins and the effects of the pandemic move to our rear-view mirror, new and amplified travel trends are emerging for 2025. Our new Travel Market Report Canada series will feature industry advisors sharing insights on trends they’re seeing and tips to help new advisors learn and work more efficiently.

First up in our new series is Elena Cortesi, of Wired for Travel. Cortesi is a relatively new advisor, having joined the company headed by industry veteran and mentor Judith Coates, 18 months ago. However, she’s not new to the travel industry. Cortesi began her career on the tour operator side, working with Alba Tours before transitioning to the marketing team after their merger with Sunquest Vacations.

“I did have some basis on that side of things, and it serves me today with things like processes and just understanding the wholesale side of things versus the retail side,” Cortesi told Travel Market Report Canada. “It’s good because it gives me a little bit more understanding of what the BDMs go through on their end and what happens on that side of things, which is not easy.”

We asked her about trends she has seen so far and what she expects to see throughout the remainder of 2025.

“Solo travel is very much a thing,” said Cortesi. “I think especially in the early 50’s demographic, people are finding their kids are at an age where they’re independent. Not everyone has similar travel interests, whether they’re in in a marriage or some sort of partnership and people have different ideas of what they want to do with their spare time.”

According to Virtuoso, a whopping 71% of solo travellers are women, with nearly half (47%) going through major life changes such as divorce, widowhood or empty nests.  Tour Operators are gripping this market; with the top 5 – G Adventures, Intrepid, Exodus Adventure Travel, Globus Escapes and Trafalgar/Insight Vacations — all offering solo itineraries.

“I’m finding that there’s a lot of requests coming through for groups too, not just solo travels independently, but also solo travellers coming together, like a group of women that are friends that want to do something together,” she explained.

“What I’m finding also, is that they don’t want to do, the typical cookie-cutter vacation like an all-inclusive or something simple. They want to do something with a little bit more adventure and exploration to it.”

Authentic experience travel is also a trend again for 2025. According to Flight Centre’s latest Canadian travel trend report, 33% of Canadian travellers want to immerse themselves in experiences rich with history and connection. 47% seek diverse experiences that combine urban, beach or culture.

“People still want authenticity in their travel, they don’t want to just see a destination; they want to immerse themselves in the culture of wherever they’re going. I don’t think that that was as much of a priority in the past, but it’s a top priority now. People really want to fully understand the destinations they go to.”

Cortesi noted that new clients often contact her after she shares her personal experiences on social media, highlighting its value as a marketing tool.

“I went to the Azores with ACTA in November and that destination checks all the boxes for solo travellers, for sustainability, for even outdoor adventure like hiking. I’m now finding I’m getting a lot of inquiries about Portugal and also the Azores specifically, because I put it out there.

I think what stuck profoundly as a result of COVID is that you never know what’s going to happen in life. I feel that’s still very prominent, and that people still want to eat the cake and take a trip. I think people still are very much in that mindset and are prioritizing experiences over material objects.

I find that we as advisors have a lot of power with our networks. If it’s something that we personally experience and speak highly of, it holds a lot of weight.”