Travel buddy? Who needs them?Before the pandemic, roughly 17% of travelers said they wanted to travel solo. Today, it's twice as much. Which is great, because solo travel has so many benefits:Traveling alone means you can stay just about anywhere you want, like a small few-room locally-owned hotel.You can be selfish. Want to try an out-of-the-way restaurant that may not be very eye-catching on the street? No one's around to stop you.You'll meet interesting people. Being alone means you'll have to put yourself out there much more than if you came with a friend. This will force you to strike up conversations with some of the most interesting people you'll ever meet in your travels.