Who pays the price for this idea that companions are so central in the choice of a trip?
It's a generalization that doesn't take into account the practical realities of everyone.
Many people, especially young ones, don't necessarily have a group of friends whose budgets and desires match, and this shouldn't prevent them from choosing a destination, even if it means traveling alone or meeting people on site.
The distributive impact of this view is to marginalize those with fewer resources or specific desires, as if traveling were a privilege linked solely to group dynamics.
Here in Senegal, many travel first for family or business reasons; the question of companions comes only afterward and can even be resolved on site.