What is social travel? The Flash Pack connection, explained

Break out the bunting, because Flash Pack turns 10 this year. To celebrate, we’ve coined a phrase that’s wholly our own – social travel. Forget group travel: social travel is all about a unique, lasting connection between solo travelers that is Flash Pack’s special sauce – marking our place on the map in a tapestry of worldwide friendships.
From the moment Flash Pack burst onto the market in 2014, we’ve been natural-born disruptors. Group travel, for us, is not about ticking off overcrowded tourist sights from behind the clinical confines of a coach window; nor is it an invitation to booze ‘til the early hours – with zero interest in local culture.
Social travel is about forming deep, lasting connections
Instead, we aim to get under the skin of a destination with local guides and small groups of 30- and 40-something travelers who share a similar appetite for adventure and off-radar experiences. When we first began, no-one else was doing anything remotely similar to us: we redefined the category. And for that reason, we never really felt like we belonged under the bland, outdated banner of “group tours”. Social travel is far more our bag.
“The friendship dynamic in our community of like-minded solo travelers is the beating heart of Flash Pack’s identity,” explains co-founder and CEO, Radha Vyas. “Over the years, it’s enabled us to build up a global movement of like-minded adventurers – developing a life force of its own.
“People book with us because of our ability to curate standout local experiences, and adventures served with a boutique twist,” Radha continues. “But friendship is our greatest currency of all: that life-enhancing capacity to form deep, lasting connections within a relatively short period of time. That’s what social travel is all about.”

To date, Flash Pack trips have sparked 150,000 new friendships, with 80% of travelers staying in touch after their adventures have ended – despite most being total strangers just weeks before. This puts us on firm footing for our mission to form one million new friendships around the world; all via the power of social travel.
“Social travel speaks to the special kind of alchemy that Flash Pack has honed over the years; one where friendship has evolved hand-in-hand with adventure,” says co-founder, Lee Thompson.
Our community is built on trust and in-the-moment joy
“Our small group trips create a rare window of time for professionals of a similar age to connect in the real world – away from the distractions of daily life. When people from different walks of life (but often at similar life stages) come together in a new and dynamic environment, the stage for friendship is set.
“This is especially true when you add in a series of unique experiences: such as glamping in converted Land Rovers in the Serengeti; hiking a historic glacier in the Land of Fire and Ice; or rappelling down waterfalls in the jungles of Costa Rica,” Lee adds. “These types of activities tend to bond people very quickly. They foster mutual trust and in-the-moment joy, which is the essence of social travel.”

Social travel is all the more important given the global loneliness epidemic that has taken shape in recent years. Research drawing on data from 97 countries found that friendship was more key to happiness in adults aged in their 30s and 40s than connections with family. Yet despite this, 32% of British men have no-one they would call a best friend (YouGov). And Flash Pack’s own data shows that the average American has lost seven close relationships since Covid struck in 2020.
Flash Pack’s Lee Thompson experienced this effect first-hand, when – on the run-up to turning 40 – he realized he had neglected many of his closest friendships in life. It’s part of the reason why he ran a viral “will you be my friend?” social experiment on the streets of New York City last year.
If you put yourself out there, the universe usually responds
The Big Apple is regularly being voted one of the unfriendliest places in the world – 57% of New Yorkers feel isolated and alone. But the stunt came good for Lee, prompting over 1,000 messages of friendship from supportive strangers.
“It made me see that, if you’re willing to put yourself out there, the universe usually responds,” says Lee. “You too can make new friends, no matter what stage of life you’re in, or whatever else you have going on. You just have to lean in a little, and watch your world open up. Amd social travel provides a conduit into this process.”

The campaign also prompted Flash Pack to launch the world’s first Friendship Corner in New York City last year. The pop-up, situated in West Village, offered a public, intimate space for New Yorkers to arrive as strangers and leave as friends: echoing the potent effect of social travel. It’s set to be followed by The Friendship Bus, a unique mobile bonding experience coming soon to cities across the USA.
In the meantime, you can learn more about the transformative impact of social travel with testimony from just a few of our friendship-seeking Flashpackers, below. The magic is real, folks!

“I met six friends for life in Colombia”
“I met ‘the cartel’, as we call ourselves on WhatsApp, before the trip even officially began. Vicki, Marcus, Lydia, Clare, Rae, Alexa and I all arrived in Bogotá, early. We banded together to explore the city, and everything between us just flowed. We found something easy and natural in one another and our love of travel, and it’s all grown from there. Now, we regularly travel the world together on other trips. It made me realize how rare it is to have met six other people you want to hang out with all at once. What we have with our group of seven is quite unique.”
London-based Project manager, Amrita Langbour
“Every single person made the Thailand trip for me”
“Our Thailand crew had such a collective, like-minded spirit. Throughout the trip, everyone chatted to everyone – no-one was left out. We all had the same mentality of wanting to make the most of the moment and we all looked out for one another, too. We meshed in a short period of time and the easy connection made me feel hope for wider humanity. Everyone was just open to being among each other and curious. Every single person made the Thailand trip for me. We all made the effort to show up and have a good time. I feel emotional thinking about it, because we shared such a unique connection. I had a blast – and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
Florida-based finance executive assistant, Hezekiah Ross

“People come to Jordan as strangers but they leave as friends”
“People come to Jordan as strangers but they leave as friends, which is what Flash Pack is all about. My favorite stage of the group is the farewell dinner – not because I’m relieved that it’s the end (as everyone jokes) – but because, by this point, everyone is one big happy family. We sit together as friends and we’re connected talking about our memories and looking back on the adventure we’ve shared. It’s a very special, and satisfying, moment. I love it.”
Flash Pack Pack Leader and Jordanality founder, Fadi Abu Jaber
“Somehow, we just knew how to be there for one another”
“Our group dynamic in Vietnam was incredible. Somehow we just knew how to get on really well and be there for one another. We didn’t talk about our jobs back home or politics or anything. Instead, we got to switch off and be present, just connecting in the moment and laughing at inside jokes. We shared a similar mindset and we had space to engage with the group vibe as we pleased.”
Former UK healthcare worker and professional wanderer, Kirstye Todd

“I knew straight away these were people I could connect with”
“From the outset, our Sri Lanka group felt like a very safe, calm environment to share in. I knew straight away that these were people I was going to be able to chat and connect with. As we became more comfortable with one another, everyone started to open up. It meant our conversations became deeper and more human. We talked about life and relationships and books; rather than the standard small talk of what you do for a living.”
London-based marketing consultant, John “JJ” Jones
“We constantly hung out as a group – even when we didn’t have to”
“From the moment we met at our welcome meal in Buenos Aires, everyone clicked. We were all open, experienced solo travelers and we got on so well. We constantly hung out as a group – even when we didn’t have to. That’s how good the dynamic was.”
South Carolina-based author, Summer Wrenn
Want to sample the delights of social travel yourself? Come right in. Flash Pack is a global travel company that specializes in small group adventures for like-minded people in their 30s and 40s. Find out more about our mission to form one million worldwide friendships, or join our community on Instagram.
Images: Flash Pack, Rachel Ross, Sam Walker