The global travel brand debuts "Solo but Shared," a new category built for more than 200 million solo travelers overlooked by a two-person industry
ERIE, Pa., Jan. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- More than 200 million people travel solo each year, making solo travelers one of the fastest-growing segments in global tourism, with the market projected to exceed $1 trillion by 2030. Yet the travel industry remains built around a two-person minimum, leaving solo travelers overpaying and navigating systems never designed for how they actually travel. Today, Roamate™, a global travel brand redefining solo travel, launches to correct that imbalance.
Built to End the Solo Tax™, Roamate connects compatible solo travelers through a purpose-built travel platform and network now available worldwide on the Apple App Store and Google Play. The platform introduces a new way to roam called Solo but Shared—a travel category that allows solo travelers to keep their independence while selectively sharing costs, experiences, or companionship on their own terms.
Solo travel has long carried five structural penalties: higher costs, safety risk, planning friction, compatibility guesswork, and a constant tradeoff between independence and connection. Roamate addresses all five through a single system built specifically for solo travelers, combining compatibility-led matching, integrated trip coordination, and Cleared to Roam™, an optional criminal background-check status that unlocks access to a verified traveler network. The result is infrastructure that makes Solo but Shared viable at scale, without requiring travelers to give up autonomy.
"Solo travelers aren't a niche. We're a global force, and it's time the industry caught up," said Charli Sharp, founder and CEO of Roamate. "We don't need more workarounds or group trips labeled 'solo-friendly.' We need infrastructure designed for how people actually travel today. End the Solo Tax names the problem. Solo but Shared is how we fix it."
Roamate was founded after Sharp lost both of her sisters just three weeks apart and began traveling alone as a way to survive grief. In the four years that followed, she paid more than $20,000 in solo surcharges—an experience that exposed the financial and structural penalties embedded in modern travel and helped shape Roamate's mission.
The Global Movement to End the Solo Tax
End the Solo Tax™ is Roamate's global movement to expose and correct one of travel's most persistent structural failures: an industry designed for pairs and groups in a world where hundreds of millions of people travel alone.
Cruise Critic and other industry reporting show that single supplement fees can raise cruise fares by as much as 200% for solo travelers, while limited solo-friendly inventory across hotels and tours continues to restrict access. In 2025, the Solo Tax surfaced publicly in airfare pricing when investigative reporting revealed that select routes priced solo tickets significantly higher than the per-person cost for two travelers booking the same itinerary. Following public criticism, Delta and United rolled back the specific fare structures highlighted in the reporting, underscoring the impact of naming the problem.
Democratizing Double Occupancy
Roamate expands access to double occupancy in a travel industry built around two people. Hotels, rentals, and cruise cabins cost the same whether occupied by one person or two, yet solo travelers are routinely required to absorb the full price. By enabling compatible solo travelers to safely share accommodations, Roamate turns unused capacity into a shared asset—allowing travelers to reduce costs while maintaining independence. Rather than waiting for suppliers to change pricing models, Roamate enables a consumer-led correction to a system that has long excluded solo travelers.
A New Safety Standard for Solo Travel
Safety remains the top barrier to solo travel, particularly for women. Cleared to Roam™ is Roamate's industry-first safety status earned through an optional criminal background check, designed for shared travel contexts. It goes beyond basic identity checks common across consumer platforms by shifting safety from a personal burden to a shared standard, giving travelers greater confidence when deciding who to travel with.
Why Solo Travelers Are the Industry's Most Undervalued Customers
Solo travelers have long been treated as "half-customers," yet spending data shows they consistently outspend couples on a per-person basis across dining, experiences, wellness, and ancillary services. By enabling solo travelers to self-organize—sharing accommodations or plans without sacrificing independence—Roamate unlocks discretionary spend that has historically been absorbed by inflated base costs. For travel brands, the implication is clear: two solo travelers sharing a room do not behave like one couple, and often generate higher total on-property revenue than the industry has recognized.
Additional information, images, and the full press kit are available at roamateapp.com/press.
About Roamate
Roamate™ is a global travel brand redefining the way the world travels solo. Built to End the Solo Tax™, Roamate introduces the world's first compatibility-based solo travel network designed to help travelers share costs, connect safely, and roam on their own terms, creating a new category of travel: solo but shared. Through its platform and tools including RoamList, RoamBoard, RoamPlanner, and optional Cleared to Roam™ criminal background checks, Roamate gives solo travelers greater freedom, flexibility, and choice without sacrificing independence. Roamate is available worldwide on the Apple App Store and Google Play. Learn more at roamateapp.com.
Legal Disclaimer
Roamate™, Cleared to Roam™, and End the Solo Tax™ are trademarks of Roamate, Limited. Cleared to Roam™ is a limited verification feature designed to increase trust among travelers. It is not a guarantee of safety and does not replace personal judgment or precautions.
Media Contact
Press, Roamate, 1 7576756770, [email protected], www.roamateapp.com
SOURCE Roamate
Share this article