Loisa Andalio apologized for her controversial remark about solo travelers, where she assumed that those who explore places on their own are going through difficult times.
The actress clarified her comment in a new interview with ABS-CBN News, noting that the previous one she made was lacking. “Medyo bitin talaga ‘yung interview na ‘yun,” she said.
She pointed out that it was only her opinion based on her beliefs, and that it wasn’t meant to be a sweeping generalization.
“Ang opinyon ko doon parang for me, kung ako magso-solo travel, grabe siguro ‘yung pinagdadaanan ko para umabot ako sa mag-solo na lang,” she said. “Kasi ako ‘yung personality ko gusto ko kasama si Ronnie or ‘yung friends or ‘yung family.”
“Hindi ko nilalahat, sa akin lang ‘yun,” she added. “Kung na misinterpret ng iba, sorry, opinion ko ‘yun. May opinion din sila nirerespeto ko din.”
This came a few weeks after the local star said she prefers to travel with loved ones and that she could never envision herself doing it solo.
“Gumaganda rin yung view dahil sa kasama natin,” she said in an interview with entertainment site PEP.ph. “Minsan kasi, ang ano lang, hindi ko maintindihan yung mga tao na nagso-solo travel—parang ang lungkot.”
“Kasi, sino yung kabatuhan mo na ‘ang ganda ng view’? Yung walang taga-picture mo,” she added, sharing that she’s often accompanied by her boyfriend, actor Ronnie Alonte.
Andalio, who has never tried traveling by herself, then said that solo travelers might be going through difficult times.
“Grabe yung pinagdadaanan talaga siguro nila para gusto nilang magiging solo na lang,” she said.
A survey by tour operator Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) showed that solo travel is on the rise globally. Based on survey data released last year, tour operators predicted that 2024 would be the “year of the solo traveler.”
“The solo trend started more than a decade ago and has continued to gain steam. Back in 2017, 27% of our travelers were solos. In 2019, it was 39%, and 47% in 2021. Today, it’s 50%,” Brian FitzGerald, OAT chief executive officer, told Forbes in 2023.
