I am single, and live alone through choice. I like my independence, and I’m very happy with my love life as it is, thank you. I enjoy socialising with my friends, but I choose to spend a lot of my free time alone. So when I go on holiday, I want to go on my own. However fond we are of our families, friends or partners, holidays in their company are, at best, a matter of compromise and at worst a stress-filled week.

The idea of going on holiday with a bunch of strangers, or even an acquaintance with whom I have a few things in common, fills me with horror. If I want company when travelling alone, in most cities or resorts I have the option of choosing to join an organised cultural or sporting activity for a couple of hours. Failing that, I could even do something really radical, like striking up a conversation with one of the locals! But the point is, I don’t have to. If I want to spend two weeks lying on a beach, or wandering round museums on my own, I can. And if I suddenly decide I want to change my plans for the day, I can do that too. I don’t have to worry in case my companion is tired, or hungry, or bored. I don’t have to bear the responsibility for anyone else having a good time, or miss out on doing the things I want to do. My holiday is just that – MY holiday!

The travel industry is geared up to accommodate couples and families, but with an estimated 48 per cent of the UK’s population being single, holiday companies are not attempting to attract half their potential market. I find that astonishing. How can they be so unresponsive to this trend, and lose out on so much potential revenue? Because what a lot of single people want is not that different from what everyone else wants. Maybe we don’t crave high-rise hotel blocks with three swimming pools and nightly "entertainment", but we do want holidays somewhere warm, with a nice beach, a bit of culture, and some attractive shops and restaurants. Or city breaks. Normal, grown-up holidays.

There are options already available for holidaymakers who are single but would rather not be. There are options for the intrepid and the thrill seekers. There are always options for the wealthy. But for the solo traveller who wants a week’s holiday for under £400, what is there? Possibly quite a lot, but finding it is a nightmare. Flicking through holiday brochures or browsing the internet isn’t, for me, the anticipation-filled preparation for a longed-for break, it’s just a dispiriting slog. You spot a holiday bargain, and are then reduced to instant dejection on seeing those tiny, yet dreaded words, "prices based on two people sharing".

One solution I’ve found is to go self-catering. For often less than the price of B&B, it’s possible to rent a small cottage or apartment. The choice of properties is limited, but at least there is a choice. What’s more, the price for these is advertised per property, so comparisons are easy. The disadvantage is that, as with everywhere else, these holidays are more expensive in the high season, and soon soar out of range of a single person’s budget. However, I have had some lovely holidays in February and November. I’d just like one in the summer, when I could wear a bikini. Anna Ross, Beverley, East Yorkshire