Picture this: you’re in an exotic locale, 3,000 miles from home, surrounded by singles in their 20s and 30s — all of them open to connection, possibly even with you.
No, I’m not talking about the Love Island villa. No one is being voted off anything.
I’m talking about a new partnership between IRL dating company Thursday and group travel operator FTLO Travel: singles-only trips designed to help people between the ages of 25 and 39 connect while exploring some of the world’s most sought-after destinations. The inaugural trip winds through Barcelona and the South of France over the course of eight days, departing September 20, 2026, to the tune of $4,399. (Hey, you can’t put a price on love. You can, apparently, put a price on proximity to the possibility of love.)
For the uninitiated, FTLO has long been a vehicle for young, solo travelers to bond through small-group adventures. By the company’s own estimate, 60% of their travelers are already single — and 100% want to meet new people. “We have quite a few love stories that have come out of FTLO trips, and whenever we share them on social media, people love it,” says founder and CEO Tara Cappel. “The love stories always get our highest engagement, so we knew there was an interest and a desire from our community to make these meet-cute moments more intentional.”
The Journey by InsideHook
Join over 100K travelers seeking trip ideas, the latest travel news, and all the inspiration you need for your next vacation.
Finding the right partner — for the company, that is — was the next step. After an initial, fruitless conversation with Hinge, and encouraged by a handful of team members who’d attended Thursday events, Cappel set her sights on what is considered one of the world’s largest IRL dating communities, boasting 1.5 million users across 175 cities. Things came together quickly from there. (Faster, one assumes, than most of the app-based alternatives.)
Here’s how it works: spots are divided into what Cappel calls “gal spots” and “guy spots” and go first-come, first-served until 30 days before departure, after which they open to anyone. (Stragglers, consider yourselves warned.) The trip is capped at 16 people. “We’ve found this is the best way for groups to travel well together and to create fast friendships,” she says. “We wanted there to be enough people to mingle, but not so many that it becomes impersonal.” FTLO staff handle logistics and questions leading up to the trip; from there, a trained trip leader — schooled specifically in group dynamics — takes over on the ground.
The format stays true to FTLO’s signature mix of culture and exploration, just with a slightly higher emphasis on cool bars, rooftops and nightlife than usual. As one does!
“We know from FTLO trips that letting connection happen naturally still forms deep bonds,” Cappel says. “People don’t feel like they’re being forced into anything and are more open that way. We’re also very intentional about the flow of the itinerary and the activities we include — the structure itself helps people connect.”
Thursday’s influence shows up in one tangible addition: question cards borrowed from their events, designed to fast-track conversation into slightly deeper territory. Think a lighter version of the New York Times’ “36 Questions That Lead to Love” — more “what’s something you’ve changed your mind about recently” and less “stare into each other’s eyes for four minutes.” (Though, in Barcelona, who knows.)
Early signs point to strong demand. “The response from men in particular — who are notoriously skeptical of group travel — has been very positive,” Cappel tells me. She credits digital fatigue. I’d add the male loneliness epidemic to the mix, and also, probably, the prospect of tapas.
All theories aside, it also just sounds fun. What could be better than traveling abroad with the express purpose of meeting attractive, like-minded people? I’m deep in a Love Island spiral at the moment, so I couldn’t help but ask Cappel how FTLO planned to sidestep the “singles thrown together for maximum chaos” trope.
She indulges me. “Love Island makes new relationships and trust risky,” she says. “A trip like this leans into the vulnerability that is human connection and intimacy.”
Reader, at the time of writing, one hundred people were already on the waitlist.
Meet your guide
More Like This
This article appeared in an InsideHook newsletter. Sign up for free to get more on travel, wellness, style, drinking, and culture..
