Travel has become the most likely setting for meeting new people, overtaking work, university and dating apps, a survey by European adventure tour operator WeRoad found, the company said.
The findings point to a shift in how people form friendships against the backdrop of a global loneliness crisis, with everyday life increasingly seen as failing to meet the need for connection and travel emerging as the preferred space to make it.
Of 5,000 people aged 20 to 40 across the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy, 45% said travel was where they were most likely to meet new people, ahead of work or university at 33%, friends of friends at 31%, hobbies and sport at 29%, events at 28%, and dating apps or social media at 9%. The figure rose from 30% when WeRoad carried out the same research in 2025.
The study, conducted between February and May through an online survey across the five markets, also suggested forming new relationships was becoming harder. Two-thirds of respondents, 66%, said it was harder to meet new people today than in the past, up from 58% last year, with 47% blaming a decline in spontaneous social interactions, 33% citing a lack of time, 25% not knowing where to start and 21% social anxiety.
This isn’t a new phenomenon — but it’s growing. According to the OECD¹ (2025), only 11% of people in Europe see friends in person every day. And according to the World Happiness Report 2025³, 19% of young adults worldwide have no one to count on — a figure that has risen steadily from 14% in 2006.
Demand for face-to-face experiences appeared to be growing, with 72% saying they would like more opportunities to socialise offline. More than four in five, 83%, said they felt more open to meeting people while travelling, while 66% said they had formed at least one genuine connection on a trip and 52% believed friendships formed while travelling were more authentic than those made in everyday life.
“We wanted to understand why certain experiences still create meaningful connections between people, particularly against the backdrop of the global loneliness crisis,” said Fabio Bin, co-founder and chief marketing officer at WeRoad.
“We know people remain hungry for connection and offline experiences, but the places where relationships actually form are changing. Everyday life no longer fulfills this need, and travel is beginning to replace it as the preferred space where people connect more naturally,” said Bin.
The findings come as wider research continues to highlight concerns around social isolation. The report references data from the OECD showing only 11% of people in Europe see friends in person every day, while the World Happiness Report 2025 found 19% of young adults globally say they have no one they can rely on, up from 14% in 2006.
Why it matters for the trade
The research hands operators a clear marketing angle, positioning travel not just as escape or sightseeing but as a remedy to loneliness, particularly for solo travellers in their 20s to 40s. For the trade, the rising share citing travel as their main route to new friendships points to sustained demand for small-group and social-format trips built around connection.