How solo female travel is becoming increasingly popular

Solo female travel is on the rise as 54% of British female travellers are more likely to take trips alone than they were five years ago. Women all over the world are feeling confident and empowered as they embark on journeys to holiday whenever they want, wherever they want. Searches for the term ‘solo female travel’ have increased by 800% from the lowest point, post-covid within the past five years. With 14% of women already travelling solo, we dive into why solo female travel is gaining traction and explore some reasons why it may not be for everyone.

Why is solo female travel on the rise?

1. No waiting around

I’m not saying you’ll never have to wait around if you go on a solo trip – you’ll need a lot of luck to get through the airport queue-free. But you won’t have to wait on your travel buddies to get ready in the morning, to decide where they want to eat for dinner, or even to find free time that coincides so you can all go somewhere together in the first place! The convenience of being able to travel whenever you want without waiting on others is one of the main reasons to travel solo.

2. You wear the trousers…

… and you never have to take them off. From choosing your destination and accommodation, to deciding which activities you want to do while travelling, you get to make all the decisions yourself. Going solo gives you the ultimate freedom to craft the perfect holiday for you, whether you meticulously plan it from the start or wing it while you’re there. 87% of females choose to travel solo for this very reason - freedom and flexibility.

3. A sense of community

It may seem counterintuitive to label solo travel as communal, but women all over the world are coming together and sharing their holiday experiences online and offline. Just because you started the journey by yourself, doesn’t mean you won’t make any friends along the way! In fact, 26% of women said they travel solo simply because it’s easier to make new friends when travelling alone.

Online communities are also filled with women who are passionate about solo travel, sharing tips, tricks and supporting one another. The Solo Female Traveler Network group on Facebook has over 556k members, and is known to host meetup tours, as well as helping newer members learn more about solo travel.

4. Women-only arrangements

For women who have never solo travelled before, 76% said they would be more likely to do so on a group tour, with 40% choosing a women-only tour. With travel companies such as Intrepid expanding their range of women’s expeditions, we may be spoiled for choice. Women can safely travel to destinations like Morocco, Turkey and Nepal within small, female-only groups that are led by a female local travel expert.

Women-only accommodation is also an option, with hotels, hostels and guesthouses catering to just women popping up all over the world, creating spaces where ladies can feel safer and more secure when travelling alone. Japan takes it one step further, offering female-only train carriages where women can feel more comfortable while travelling and commuting.

What’s still preventing women from solo travelling?

It’s clear to see that more and more women are open to solo travelling, but there are still some limitations and concerns holding others back. Unfortunately, safety is a major issue with 76% of female travellers saying that they’d feel unsafe on holiday by themselves. Group tours and itineraries can help combat this, but sadly the vulnerability of being a woman travelling alone remains prevalent. It’s no surprise that the most popular destinations for women traveling solo are cities like London, Lisbon and Paris, which are all places with high scores for perceived security.

Another obstacle to solo travelling would be higher costs, as stated by 65% of women travellers. With group deals for activities and lodging, it is perceived to be cheaper to travel with others. Some hotels have single supplement charges if one person books a room meant for two, but there are ways to cut the costs as a solo traveller, such as staying in hostels or hotels with single rooms and using public transport instead of taxis.

A few other reasons women gave for not wanting to solo travel include feeling lonely, having no one to share the experience with and not feeling brave or confident enough to do so.

Encouraging solo female travel is the way to go

Travel companies can help to lower the barriers that discourage some women from solo travelling by focusing on women-only travel and implementing experiences such as women-only tours and promoting women-only accommodation. Over the past few years, travel companies dedicated to women-only customers have increased by 230%, showcasing a massive demand for solo female travel! By understanding and prioritising what women look for in a holiday when travelling alone, we can inspire more ladies to give it a go – for example, cultural and historical attractions as well as the beauty of the destination are the most popular things women consider.

Final Thoughts

It’s a wonderful thing that female solo travel is becoming increasingly popular and many travel companies are helping to facilitate this by focusing on women-specific holidays. Creating spaces and opportunities where women can feel safe to travel and enjoy holidays alone is extremely important. Finding that confidence and capability to experience a trip solo can be empowering; you may learn things about yourself you didn’t even know!

While there are still limitations such as safety concerns and possibly higher costs, having communities to offer tips, tricks and advice can go a long way in encouraging more ladies to try it out. I don’t expect solo travel to be for everyone; even I’m unsure if I would go on a trip by myself – but those who want to enjoy a holiday by themselves should be free to do so, without worry.