Overseas Adventure Travel Announces 18,000 Single Spaces Available for 2021 - a 38 Percent Increase

Leader in solo travel reports continued strong solo demand

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Mar 18, 2020, 14:00 ET

BOSTON, March 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Solo travel is going strong. Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T.), the leader in solo travel, today announced that it has 18,000 single spaces available with a free or low-cost Single Supplement in 2021, an increase of 38 percent versus 2020. The increase comes in response to the hearty appetite of Americans 50+ – particularly women – for traveling solo.

More than 50,000 solo travelers joined O.A.T in the past two years – on their own or with a friend or relative. In 2019, nearly half of O.A.T. travelers booked as solo travelers. Eighty-five percent of solo travelers with O.A.T. are women.

O.A.T. supports solo travelers with free Single Supplements on all O.A.T. adventures and pre- and post-trip extensions, and free or low-cost Single Supplements on Small Ship Adventures, saving travelers from $300 to $3,000.

O.A.T CEO and President Brian Fitzgerald said, "By adding more single space for 2021, we hope more solo travelers will be able to afford travel to faraway places. We see solo women, in particular, with a passion to meet and bond with the local people. It's life-changing."

Top adventures for solo travelers in 2021 include Tunisia: From the Mediterranean to the Sahara, Ultimate Africa: Botswana, Zambia & Zimbabwe Safari, and Crossroads of the Adriatic: Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Slovenia

O.A.T. small groups – an average of 14 travelers by land and 22 by sea – are the ideal size for solos to enjoy camaraderie. In fact, more than 90 percent of solo travelers rated their O.A.T. experience as "excellent."

"My husband decided to take a short break from traveling, but I've long wanted to explore South America," said O.A.T. solo traveler Betsy McGee from California. "My experience on all O.A.T. trips has been very positive. It's easy to connect with other travelers on the trip, solo or otherwise, and the small group size makes this so easy."

Safety and security for solos
For solo travelers, O.A.T.'s guides, known as Trip Experience Leaders, provide a sense of safety and security. Trip Experience Leaders are locals who remain with the group throughout the entire trip, including free time. They are trained to integrate solo travelers from the start of the adventure, ensuring that solos have people to explore and share meals with, if they choose. For added security and assistance, one of O.A.T.'s 36 regional offices is nearby for support. Regional associates helped plan each itinerary and are ready to assist at a moment's notice.

Exclusive Women's Departures
Women-only departures are growing in popularity at O.A.T. The company recently announced Exclusive Women's Departures, led primarily by female Trip Experience Leaders. Fifty-two Exclusive Women's Departures are featured on 26 of O.A.T.'s most popular adventures— eight of which are single-only departures.

Freedom to personalize
Solo travelers enjoy the freedom to personalize their adventures with O.A.T. Eighty-five percent of O.A.T. travelers are personalizing their experiences in more than 90 countries, the highest percentage in the company's history. Personalization options include a pre-trip or post-trip extension; arriving early or staying later to "break away" and explore a destination entirely on one's own; an O.A.T. Stopover; taking two or more adventures back-to-back; and customizing air options, such as choosing their departure city and airline.

2021 savings – and flexibility if plans change
O.A.T. is offering limited-time solo savings for 2021: $250 per person on ANY January-April 2021 Small Group Adventure by land or ship when reserved by April 30, 2020.

Travelers who opt to share a room with a sister, daughter or friend can save $500 per person on ANY January-April 2021 Small Group Adventure by land or ship—or $250 per person on ANY May-December 2021 departure when reserved by April 30, 2020.

With O.A.T.'s flexible booking policy, travelers who already have an existing 2020 (June and beyond) or 2021 reservation, or who book a new 2020 or 2021 reservation, and for whatever reason need to change the date of travel, can transfer to another date within 12 months of their departure and O.A.T. will waive any change fees.

Travelers interested in reserving travel should call O.A.T. at 1-800-955-1925. For more information about O.A.T., please visit www.oattravel.com.

ABOUT OVERSEAS ADVENTURE TRAVEL
Established in 1978, Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T.) is part of Boston-based Grand Circle Corporation's family of travel companies, which also include Grand Circle Cruise Line and Grand Circle Travel. In 1992, owners Alan and Harriet Lewis established the nonprofit Grand Circle Foundation to support communities in which Grand Circle works and travels, including some 300 humanitarian, cultural, and educational endeavors worldwide—among them, 100 schools, in 50 countries. The Foundation is an entity of the Lewis Family Foundation, which has pledged or donated more than $200 million since 1981.

SOURCE Overseas Adventure Travel