DETUROPE - The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism 2025, 17(2):17-33

Solo Travellers in Social Media: TripAdvisor Forum Analysis

Lucie Sara Závodnáa, Martin Musilb
a College of Polytechnics Jihlava, Tolsteho 16, Jihlava, Czech Republic
b Prague University of Economics and Business, nam. W. Churchilla 4, Prague, Czech Republic

This study delves into the consumption patterns of solo travellers, exploring the nuances of their travel behaviour, the determinants influencing their choices, and their preferred destinations. Employing text mining techniques, this research analyses the discourse surrounding solo travel within TripAdvisor forums. A comprehensive dataset of 74,672 comments written in English posted between 8 January 2008 and 31 May 2023 was gathered from these forums and utilised for the analytical framework of this study. The primary objectives encompassed (1) delineating the intricacies of solo travellers' consumption behaviour, (2) examining distinctions in consumption behaviour among solo female travellers and (3) identifying the destinations most frequently discussed by this demographic. The conclusion reveals distinctive consumption behaviours among solo travellers, particularly in the realms of financial considerations, safety concerns and gender-specific issues. Notably, solo female travellers extensively discussed safety-related aspects, including preferences for secure destinations, interactions with local or fellow female travellers and ensuring safety during transportation. In terms of destination preferences, our analysis indicates a substantial focus on various regions. Europe emerged prominently in discussions, with 8,029 cases, followed by mentions of America in 2,368 cases, Australia in 2,346 cases and Asia in 2,322 cases.

Keywords: solo travel; consumption behaviour; female travel; TripAdvisor; text mining

Received: September 26, 2024; Revised: September 15, 2025; Accepted: October 12, 2025; Published: December 25, 2025  Show citation

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Závodná, L.S., & Musil, M. (2025). Solo Travellers in Social Media: TripAdvisor Forum Analysis. DETUROPE - The Central European Journal of Regional Development and Tourism, 17(2), 17-33
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