Why Gen Z would rather holiday alone

Young South Africans are booking time away on their own, and many have done their homework before they leave. Business coach Shane Driver explains why, and why a trip on your own only works if you give it a purpose.

Expert commentary: Shane Driver, business coach and founder of Business Driver Coaching Gen Z is choosing to holiday alone, and Shane Driver says it comes down to how this generation grew up.

“Gen Z grew up connecting through a screen,” he says. “They’d rather send a WhatsApp than answer a call, and they’re drinking less and choosing coffee shops over clubs. COVID and online learning added to that. Many of them spent key social years at home, so a big group can feel overwhelming. When you’re alone, you’re not worried about being judged or watched.” They also go in far better prepared than their parents did. “We had one magazine article and someone else’s opinion,” Driver says. “Today you can watch hours of YouTube about a place before you go. By the time they arrive, they know exactly where they’re going, and that makes going alone feel a lot less risky.”

A different kind of tired

Driver does not believe older generations needed a break any less. “Their pressures were just simpler. When you left work, you left work. There were no emails and no cell phones.” “COVID moved work into our homes, and now you’re on call around the clock. Emails arrive at three in the morning from another time zone, and people answer anyway. Living costs have gone up, so people take on a second job, a weekend side hustle or study from home. Burnout is bound to happen.”

Then there’s social media. “On holiday you used to take maybe 20 photos the whole trip, and you looked at where you were. Now the holiday is content, and you’re constantly building a personality online. So the fatigue isn’t only from work. It’s from performing yourself all day. A solo trip is where you finally get to stop.”

“The fatigue isn’t only from work. It’s from performing yourself all day. A solo trip is where you finally get to stop.”

Why go alone?

Part of the draw is that nobody else gets a vote. “When you’re on your own, you don’t have to dress up or watch how you eat. You don’t have to compromise. Every choice is yours,” Driver says.

“In a group you’re always meeting someone halfway, and if it’s never your choice, are you really enjoying it? Being alone gives you space to think. You hear yourself again.” It also changes what to look for in a place to stay. “A solo guest isn’t looking for a cheaper version of a couple’s weekend. They want to be left alone without being left out.”

Plan something to do

Driver’s advice for a first trip alone is to plan more than the booking. “If they simply go somewhere, they end up doing exactly what they do at home, in a different location. A proper reset needs a purpose and something to do.” He coaches the management team at Evermore Venue & Spa in Roodeplaat, outside Pretoria, and gives a spa treatment with an overnight stay as an example. It “gives someone time to unwind and wake up somewhere that isn’t their normal routine.”

“Time alone with a purpose is wellness. Sitting on the couch every night, not wanting to connect with anyone, is escapism.”

When time alone stops helping

Not all time alone is good for you, Driver says. It needs a purpose, and he speaks from experience. “After my divorce I had to learn to be alone, so I started going to the movies by myself. At first it felt strange, then it became one of my favourite things. Time alone with a purpose is wellness. Sitting on the couch every night, not wanting to connect with anyone, is escapism.” He suggests a quick check. “If your time with other people is only 10% of your life, ask yourself why. If your time with yourself is only 10%, ask the same question. Aim for something closer to 50/50.”

About Shane Driver

Shane Driver is the founder of Business Driver Coaching, a business coach, speaker and author of Please Stand By, and has coached close to 100 businesses. He is business coach to the management team at Evermore Venue & Spa in Roodeplaat, Pretoria.