A survey of 2,000 people, conducted by Ambassador Cruise Line, found that 89 percent of Brits are interested in travelling solo, with 66 percent looking for love while on holiday.

Despite this high interest in finding love while on holiday, 48 percent of both genders feel 'not at all confident' to meet potential love interests.

The least confident age bracket to find love was found to be 25-34, with 55-plus age range at the most confident.

What's more, the survey found general confidence in solo travel increased with age, with 12 percent of 18-24-year-olds fearing loneliness on holiday compared to only two percent of 45-54-year-olds and three percent aged 55 plus.

These new statistics capture the shifting openness to solo travel and, as a result, finding romance while on holiday.

Holiday romance, past and present

A quarter of holidaymakers admitted to having previously had a holiday romance, yet a fifth of people who have never married stated they have never had a holiday romance, despite being open to it.

Interestingly, the survey found that there was a regional variation for finding love on holiday, with 40 percent of those from the East Midlands having never had a holiday romance and people in Wales being the most likely to have met a special someone while on holiday.

Gordon Nardini, Ambassador Cruise Line spokesperson, says: “We asked how people want to meet others in 2023, what may be holding them back from mingling, and what we can do to encourage holiday romances and friendships.

"We were surprised to learn how high love is up the solo travel agenda, but also saw a pattern surrounding how low confidence is when it comes to making these connections.”

Top solo travel destinations

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has also been busy undertaking research for solo travellers and has found the top solo travel destinations for 2022 and beyond.

Finland came out on top for solo travellers, followed closely by Denmark. Austria nabs third place, then Switzerland in fourth and Norway in fifth.

The survey also revealed that one in five are considering booking a solo trip within the next twelve months, with 38 percent feeling more confident travelling alone.

The top reason why solo travelling is seen as such an attractive option is the 'feeling of freedom and independence' (27 percent) and the biggest turn-off was 'safety concerns' (32 percent).