Did you know that a phenomenal £4 trillion a year is spent in the travel and tourism sector?  It’s safe to say that human beings are better travelled than ever before (hooray for us).

Yet despite this, all too often the die-hard gallivanters among us feel that they’ve reached a point in their lives where their travels are either over, or severely restricted.

But your life should ever have a travel cut-off point. For instance, it shouldn’t just be for those footloose and fancy-free post-uni years. Nor should you have to wait until retirement before your next big adventure. After all, you have a whole long life to live between your gap year and the day that you claim your pension.

With this in mind, here are three common excuses people make for not travelling more — and what you can do to overcome them.

I’m a single woman and don’t want to travel alone

Maybe you’ve reached that awkward age where all of your gal pals are now married with kids and have zero interest in taking that trekking trip to Malaysia with you. In contrast, you have a ton of freedom — and naturally, you want to make the most of it. At the same time though, you might not fancy travelling alone for all sorts of reasons, for instance, maybe you don’t feel that it’s safe or maybe you’d just prefer some fun company in that balmy beachside bar.

But you shouldn’t let being single stop you from living life to the full — there are plenty of options out there. For instance, a lot of adventure holiday companies run group tours, where you can team up with fellow travellers. Alternatively, websites like Travel Buddies offer a free social network to find people to accompany you on a jaunt abroad.

The idea of teaming up with strangers can be daunting. But then again, you will be broadening your social horizons and maybe even, if you’re lucky, making a brand new bestie for life. Also, it is more than possible to travel solo safely as a woman — you just need to do your research in advance and take sensible precautions.

So don’t let being single stop you. Instead, make the most of your precious freedom while it lasts. It’s no surprise solo travel has been on the rise for some time.

I can’t travel as I have kids 

Who says that mums (and dads) don’t get to see the world? Don’t get me wrong, there are some reservations — the idea of being stuck in a Himalayan village with a screaming toddler is no one’s idea of a good time. But it’s all about planning your travels around your little ones. For instance, aim to choose destinations, accommodation and itineraries that are family-friendly, instead of giving up on the idea altogether.

The best approach is to learn from others who are already doing this, for example, World Travel Family is an inspirational blog filled with tips for travelling to exotic places with children.

And bear in mind that foreign travel can have an amazing effect on children in their formative years by broadening their minds, introducing them to new languages and cultures, and fostering a love of adventure from an early age. So it really is worth it, for their sakes as much as anything else.

I’d love to travel — but I can’t afford it 

Maybe you’re a freelancer on a fluctuating income. Maybe you’re currently in a low-income job. Or maybe you’re making a good salary, but saving the bulk of it to get on the property ladder.

Whatever your reason for having tight purse strings right now, it shouldn’t stop you from living your life to the full. There are a great many people travelling the world on a shoestring — and blogging about it to boot.

The key is to learn from other ‘shoe-stringers’, start saving, create a budget plan and also consider shorter adventure trips (say, for a few weeks instead of a few months). Trust me, you can do it — and it will be worth every last penny.

In short, if you have the will to travel, then you will find a way. Don’t let being single or a mum or on a tight budget stop you. There’s a big old world out there — and it’s waiting for you to find it.