The Impact of Solo Travel on Independence and Well-being of Young Adults

Solo travel has increasingly become a popular mode of travel among young adults, providing an opportunity for self-discovery, resilience-building, and emotional growth. Despite the rising interest, the psychological outcomes of solo travel remain underexplored, especially through a quantitative lens. This dissertation investigates the impact of solo travel on two key psychological variables: independence and psychological well-being. Grounded in theories such as Self-Determination Theory supported by the Index of Autonomous Functioning (IAF) scale, Well-being scale supported by the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS), and solo travel supported by General Self Efficacy Scale (GSE), the study surveyed 106 young adults aged 18–35, including those with solo and group travel experiences. Data was collected via online and offline forms using a simple random sampling method to ensure generalizability. Results derived from SPSS analysis revealed no significant Pearson correlation between solo travel and either independence or well-being. However, independence showed a marginal predictive trend about well-being in the regression analysis. These findings challenge the stereotypical assumptions of solo travel’s uniformly positive impact, indicating that the psychological benefits may be influenced by contextual factors such as personality traits, cultural background, and travel purpose. This study provides new insight into the psychology of travel and emphasizes the need for broader, more nuanced research on individual travel experiences and their outcomes.