It may also be happening in their own homes: Women are responsible for more than two-thirds of travel-related decisions, even when they are not the ones traveling. The tourism industry has long been aware of this fact, but also of a more recent phenomenon: more and more women are choosing to travel alone. According to figures from the custom travel platform Evaneos, women travel solo more than men: 15% more embark on a solo trip. "Between 2023 and 2024, this trend increased by 20% and doubled compared to 2022. Here, Spanish female travelers are slightly behind Italian or German women, who lead this trend globally." To give an idea, searches for "women-only travel" have increased by over 1,000% in the last decade, this time according to Google search data.
"Traveling is about knowing and learning, discovering and discovering ourselves, and perhaps that is why many women enjoy traveling alone (without a partner, without family, without friends). In addition, women are, as we have seen for some time, the driving force behind travel trends worldwide," explains Aurélie Sandler, co-CEO of Evaneos. "They propose and manage family vacations, have an interest in getting to know other cultures, and increasingly demand personalized and immersive experiences, where personal enrichment is much greater."
Andrea Cayón, founder of Passporter, the website for planning and sharing trips, agrees. Her community of travelers is composed of "70% women," she reveals to El Mundo. Last week, at one of the digital events they organize, all participants were women interested in traveling alone to Bali. "They want someone to accompany them in the trip preparation process and have a point of contact at the destination, which provides greater security." For Cayón, one must forget the idea that "traveling is something done accompanied." "Great experiences can be lived traveling alone, especially because of the people you meet on the journey and the personal growth it entails."
Passporter users are mostly young travelers who want to organize their trips in an orderly and collaborative manner. While it is true that another interesting fact pointed out by a recent Skift Research study is that the numbers contradict generational stereotypes. Older women travel alone more than young women. "Those aged 65 or older are five times more likely to travel alone than those aged 35 to 44."
Some of the preferred destinations for women traveling alone include Peru, Thailand, and Vietnam, followed by Tanzania, Uzbekistan, and Costa Rica, according to Evaneos. "Interestingly, we did not find any European country on this list, even though they could be considered more accessible and safe due to their more open culture towards tolerance and diversity," they say.
All these circumstances are leading to an increasing offer of specific products for female travelers. Thus, we find more and more tours designed for solo women in all kinds of destinations, wellness retreats, or cultural immersion trips focused on them. "Women are also leading the change towards a more sustainable and ethical way of traveling. Our experience tells us that they are usually more conscious and seek experiences that are sustainable and respectful of local communities. They are the ones driving the change towards more responsible tourism, and that can only be good for everyone," concludes Sandler.