Naples lands on travel destination list for first-time solo travelers

NAPLES: Naples is a popular travel destination. We know this. People come to Naples from all over this country and all over the world.

The city has amazing restaurants. It has outstanding golf courses. There are numerous cultural attractions from the arts to the theater and of course, the philharmonic.

So, it should not be a surprise to see Naples appear on another “destination” list.

But this one is a little different.

Naples appears on a list that ranks it as the No. 5 destination in the U.S. for first-time solo travelers. That’s right. Solo travelers. It’s a relatively new niche in the world of travel and according to SIXT, the company that put together the research for this list, “whether it’s a city break or a relaxing beach trip, more people than ever are finding the confidence to explore the world themselves, rather than traveling with a companion.”

And Naples is one of those places, coming in behind No. 1 Washington, D.C, Austin, Texas, Denver and Portland, Oregon.

SIXT is an international provider of high-quality mobility services.

Part of the research highlights a “top attraction to visit in the destination”. For Naples, using Trip Advisor and TikTok data it is the Naples Botanical Garden.

“We are excited to top this list for individual travelers, and we think it’s fitting that they favor spending time at Naples Botanical Garden,” said Andrea Nickrent, Vice President of Development & Marketing for the Naples Botanical Garden. “Solo travelers can essentially choose their own adventure on our 170-acre campus.

Gardens are full of sights, sounds, and scents that can be enjoyed at your own pace. Many visitors like to explore on their own and take advantage of our self-guided audio tours, join one of our daily group tours, or just experience the respite that is Naples Botanical Garden.”

This was the methodology for the research: Google Trends was used to search terms around solo travel over the last month. Google search demand data is correct as of March 30, 2023. SIXT analyzed 40 of the most popular first-time solo destinations in the U.S. and ranked them based on Trip Advisor rankings and TikTok hashtags, from most to least popular.

According to SIXT, social media has been embracing the solo travel revolution, with travel hacks videos going viral and the hashtag #solotravel racking up over an overwhelming 3.3 billion views on TikTok. This has also heavily influenced search trends, with searches for ‘first-time solo travel’ rising by 350% in the past month, while other searches ‘is solo travel worth it’ (+600%) and ‘what solo travel teaches you’ (+300%) have increased in the past 12 months.