2021 Solo Female Travel Trends Survey Results

5,000 women took part in the 2021 Solo Female Travel Trends Survey (18 November – 9 December 2020) to shed more light on the solo female travel experience. This is the largest, most comprehensive and only global research study on solo female travel trends, preferences and behaviors published. These are the results.

A 2019 non-gender specific study found that 76% of travelers had gone on a solo trip or were considering going. Among women, the interest is even higher and searches for the term “solo female travel” had increased 6 fold during the 4 years preceding the beginning of the COVID 19 pandemic (according to Google trends). Pandemic woes further propelled this type of travel and cemented the interest in independent and individual travel.

These numbers are in stark contrast with the challenges, worries and experiences of women traveling solo. Concerns for safety, misleading advertising or lack of an offer that is sensitive to their needs present relevant opportunities for travel companies who take the lead.

Why solo female travelers should matter to your travel business

The solo female travel segment is large and booming. Women make the overwhelming majority of travel bookings, for themselves, for their families, for their parents, for their colleagues and for their friends, and represent 70% of the hotel website visits. They are the real travel influencers.

The narrative in travel is focused on couples and families and does not speak to the solo traveler, let alone the solo female traveler. Therein lies an enormous opportunity for savvy brands to get to know us better and to offer products that understand our challenges.

Participants in the Solo Female Travel Survey

We wanted to compare the preferences and attitudes of solo female travelers versus those of women who had not traveled solo yet but wanted to, in order to better understand perceptions and barriers.

5,000 respondents were split between women who had traveled solo and those who had not traveled solo before but wanted to, and each was asked to fill a unique list of questions, with the objective to:

1. Provide the travel industry with accurate, updated and detailed solo travel insights, specifically of the needs, preferences, behaviors and challenges of solo female travelers;

2. Shed more light into the attitudes of solo female travelers across the world, globally and by region, age group and experience solo traveling, towards marketing efforts, travel providers and destinations.

3. Understand the travel preferences of solo female travelers and help the travel industry make data-based decisions on product launches, product details and pricing with solo travel statistics and facts.

The survey for women who have already traveled solo had 29 questions, which covered socio-demographic indicators, travel preferences, solo travel preferences, behaviors and attitudes. Survey respondents were from all age groups, nationalities, income levels, solo travel experience, marital statuses and profiles.

Details of the participants can be found below.

The survey for women who had not traveled solo yet consisted of 15 questions covering socio-demographic indicators, travel preferences and barriers to solo traveling.

When questions on recent travel were asked, respondents were asked to refer to the 12 months pre-COVID.

Also on this page: Purchase the detailed reports I Learn how you can better serve solo female travelers

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Solo Female Travel Survey – Part I: Motivations and challenges for women traveling solo

There are countless stereotypes and misconceptions around women traveling solo. One of our main objectives with this survey was to dispel them and to normalize solo travel for women.

While the solo female travel segment is incredibly diverse, there are common challenges all women traveling solo face and which are unique to the female experience.

1. Traveling solo is a choice not necessarily a lifestyle

For 22% of respondents, solo travel is a lifestyle and the only way they traveled in the previous 12 months.

Findings / Key Insights

• 78% of solo female travelers combine various travel styles and companions depending on the destination and type of trip. This means that she is not exclusively a Solo Female Traveler, but she likes to take trips on her own and with others. Women traveling solo may go on a road trip with friends or if they are not available, will head out alone.

• A third of solo female travelers also travel with their spouses. 24% of them traveled with their families and 18% traveled with a group of friends in the same period.

• 17% of solo female travelers also joined a small group trip in the last 12 months. Small group trips are a safe, affordable and convenient way to visit challenging destinations or to test solo travel in a predefined way.

2. No partner, no problem.

Sometimes, solo travel is a personal choice over traveling with a companion, other times it is consequence of not having a travel companion for the trip. Either way, solo female travelers are not letting the lack of a travel companion stand in the way of a trip.

Findings / Key Insights

• 56% prefer traveling on their own because of the flexibility it affords to explore without having to rely on other opinions and preferences. This is particularly true of women in committed relationships (60%) and for Boomers (58%).

• 38% of respondents travel solo to challenge themselves. Transformative travel is on the rise, and more so when traveling solo. Travel is a way to discover ourselves and step out of our comfort zone. Millennials are twice as likely to travel for this reason than Boomers. 

• No partner, no problem! Women are not letting the lack of company stop them from traveling. 20% said they travel solo because their partner is not interested in the trip or because they cannot find a travel companion with a similar vacation schedule.

• 22% travel solo to meet new people. This is especially true for those who are not in a committed relationship (25%) as opposed to those who are (15%).

3. Safety is the indisputable worry of solo female travelers.

Women are extremely worried about their safety when traveling solo. Experience traveling solo reduces this fear, however it still remains alarmingly high at 64% for those who have traveled solo more than 10 times.

Concerns over safety are unique to the female experience regardless of how experienced a solo traveler is. Respondents specifically worry about the lack of credible sources on real safety data per destination and the travel industry’s marketing efforts to make a destination look safer than it actually is.

Findings / Key Insights

• Safety is also a barrier for women to go on a solo trip. 42% of women who haven’t traveled on their own yet cite the fear of something happening to them as the reason for not doing it.

• Removing single supplements is the number one request from solo female travelers to the travel industry. 10% of the respondents mentioned this in an unprompted question.

• Women who have taken between 6 and 10 trips worry about safety, loneliness and getting lost the most. They already have limited experience traveling solo and know what to expect and what can happen, but have not yet build the confidence for safety to be less of a worry.

4. Small group trips are a great solution for solo female travelers

When asking women who haven’t traveled solo yet what is stopping them from embarking on their first solo journey beyond safety concerns, the reasons are varied: 

• 44% said they can’t afford the higher price.
• 30% mentioned the fear of feeling lonely.
• 19% said their partner does not approve of them traveling alone
• 17% indicated they would feel guilty leaving their family or husband behind
• 13% of women are also concerned about racism and discrimination because of race or religion.
• 5% said their society does not approve of them traveling on their own.

Small group trips help women overcome their safety and financial concerns to travel solo.

Findings / Key Insights

• Half of the women who have not traveled solo yet would be more likely to do so in a group tour, particularly if it is a women-only group tour (50% vs 40% for mixed gender group tour).

5. The ideal first-time solo travel destination is your own country or in Europe

Solo female travelers should start off either in Europe or in the travelers country of origin, where the culture shock is lower (same country, language, similar culture and traditions, etc.).

It is also worth noting that, while there are some universally recommended options for the ideal destination a first time solo traveler should start with, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all choice and each traveler should consider their own personal circumstances when deciding.  

Findings / Key Insights

• 20% of solo female travelers recommend the travelers country of origin as the best destination for a first time solo trip.

• 44% of solo female travelers recommend Europe as the ideal first time solo travel destination for women.

• The top countries for solo female travelers are the UK, Australia, Italy, Thailand, Spain and Japan, be it because:
  • They are major tourism destinations (Spain, UK, Italy).
  • They enjoy really high levels of safety (Japan, Thailand).
  • They have great tourism infrastructure (Spain, Thailand, Italy).
  • They are affordable (Thailand, Spain).
  • They have friendly locals (Australia, Thailand, Italy, Spain).
  • They see a constant stream of solo travelers to beat loneliness and boredom (Spain, Thailand).

• Women who haven’t traveled solo yet consider Italy, Greece, France, Australia and Japan ideal first solo travel destinations while Americans and Canadians prefer their own countries for a first solo trip. 11% of women are not sure what the ideal first time destination would be.

6. Friends and Family and SFT online communities are the most trusted sources of advice. Influencers are not trustworthy

When planning a solo trip as a woman, getting trustworthy and relevant advice is critical and can make or break a trip, especially when it comes to safety tips and recommendations for things to do or places to stay.

Recommendations and advice from Influencers are mostly distrusted, especially by Millennials. They remain a source of information but their trustworthiness is almost as high as their untrustworthiness.

Findings / Key Insights

• Solo female travelers trust relatable (who have been there), reliable (honest) and relevant (like them) sources. Friends and family, solo female travelers, online review sites and blogs are most trusted.

• Influencers are considered less trustworthy than the brands who hire them. Influencers, Instagrammers, YouTubers and other content creators have very low trust levels with only one quarter of respondents considering them trustworthy or very trustworthy sources, this is a lower level of trust than enjoyed by travel brands’ social media networks (31%). More worrisome is the percentage of respondents who find influencers not trustworthy or very untrustworthy (21%), which is higher than the lack of trust towards travel brands’ social media channels (15%).

• Online and TV ads are not trusted by solo female travelers with over 40% of respondents considering them as untrustworthy sources.

• Trustworthiness of digital marketing / social media channels varies significantly by age group. Millennials trust online channels, particularly Facebook groups, online review sites and blogs the most. However, they are more weary of more traditional channels. On the other hand, Boomers are generally skeptical of any online marketing channels and a relevant percentage have either a neutral opinion or no opinion with regards to their trustworthiness.

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Solo Female Travel Survey – Part II: Preferences and Attitudes of Solo Female Travelers

The second batch of results from the Solo Female Travel Survey focuses on the preferences of women traveling solo and looks at what they like to do when traveling, how they choose a destination and what they would pay more for.

1. Solo Female Travelers dream of places far away and exotic

Women traveling on their own look for places that are far from where they live in or are from. While there is some overlap between the bucket list destinations and the recommendations for first time travelers, there are also some countries that appear on the bucket list probably for the first time.

Dream destinations for 2020 are also influenced by COVID restrictions and the timings when countries opened. Greece is one of the winners from travel during COVID times thanks to the fact that they opened earlier than other countries in Europe and is best visited during the summer months when border restrictions relaxed.

Findings / Key Insights

• Top countries on Solo Female Travelers bucket lists include Australia, Japan, Italy, Greece, Iceland and New Zealand. Greece is a newcomer and is particularly appealing to Gen Z travelers as it has everything they look for: Instagram spots, a beautiful destination, the beach, affordability, nightlife and the opportunity to meet people, etc.

• The traveler’s nationality determines the bucket list, with most respondents favoring places that are farther away from home. Australia is particularly appealing to travelers from the US and Canada while Italy or Greece are top choices for everyone but Europeans who prefer Japan, New Zealand or Iceland.

• Age also determines the traveler’s bucket list; Boomers prefer Australia, Canada and Italy while Millennials and Gen-X favor Greece, Japan or New Zealand.

2. Women traveling solo choose destinations based on their culture, their safety, their beauty and their affordability

Not having a companion to share accommodation and activity costs with could double the cost of a trip, putting affordability at the forefront of the travel decision for solo female travelers. Respondents also raised the misleading campaigns that focus on prices per person but require a minimum two person booking, thus dismissing solo travelers.

Findings / Key Insights

• 82% of women traveling solo find the local culture extremely important or very important when deciding on a trip.

• When choosing a destination, solo female travelers look at several decision factors, from culture to nature, beauty, safety, affordability, food, seasonality, accessibility and friendliness of the locals.

• Safety at the destination or its crime rate comes up again as an important decision factor when choosing a solo travel destination for 69% of respondents.

• A destination’s beauty is another important decision factor for 69% of respondents. This can be the beauty of its landscapes, its architecture, the sights, etc. and means different things to different people.

• As would be expected, the lower the disposable income of the respondent, the more important affordability is. While bucket list destinations run the gamut of affordability, with expensive destinations such as New Zealand or Iceland coming up, first time destinations for solo female travelers tend to be more on the affordable side (except for Japan).

3. Solo female travelers are not interested in shopping or Instagram-worthy spots at the destination

The majority of solo female travelers are adventurous and are not deterred by the distance to get to a place, the language limitation or how developed the tourism infrastructure is. However, a relevant percentage are still concerned about this. The more experienced a solo female traveler is, the less important these elements are.

Findings / Key Insights

• Only around 10% of respondents said that Instagram worthy spots or shopping was an important decision factor when choosing a solo destination. Stereotypes of what women like to do when traveling solo are outdated and not relevant to solo female travelers.

• Language barriers only matter to 15% of respondents, while closeness to home is irrelevant for almost all respondents.

• Basic aspects such as the healthcare system or the tourism infrastructure of a destination are not important to solo female travelers either, as they give way to other more relevant decision factors.

4. Women are willing to spend more on accommodation and tours

We asked women traveling solo what they would splurge on if they had extra budget and the responses illustrate what women traveling solo care about the most: accommodation. Beyond accommodation, the next most important aspect of the travel experience are the tours / activities, although significantly behind accommodation in importance.

Upgrading the accommodation choice during a trip is not only a matter of comfort but it is also a way to improve the traveler’s safety, especially in the sense of privacy or location.

Besides accommodation, a higher budget usually means the opportunity to upgrade the tours and activities by switching to personalised experiences, the convenience of VIP access or of skip the line tickets.

Interestingly, women traveling solo are not willing to sacrifice accommodation in favor of spending more on entertainment, spa services or drinks and extra budget is not often spent on these aspects of the travel experience.

Findings / Key Insights

• Accommodation is the most important element of the travel experience for solo female travelers. If budget was not an issue, 49% of women traveling solo would upgrade their accommodation, 46% would opt for private accommodation and 43% would seek a better location.

• Around a fifth of respondents indicated that they would devote a higher disposable budget to faster and more convenient access to activities, a better local guide or a personalised tour.

5. Solo Female Travelers are interested in cultural activities and immersion, the outdoors, the beach and adventure activities

Solo travel for women is a growing trend and with that, the types of women traveling solo have also expanded to included women from all walks of live, all age groups, all backgrounds, all nationalities and all ethnicities. This has increased the range of interests, deeming previous ideas around what women like to do when traveling on their own outdated.

Stereotypes around wellness and spa days or shopping are no longer representative of the average solo female traveler who is looking for many different things and travels for a variety of reasons.

Responses to our survey also reflect this diversity and, while culture and nature come up on top, there is then a long list of activities women love doing when traveling on their own. This opens up the space to travel and tourism businesses to offer something unique to each of the subgroups and illustrates that fact that there are not only various sub-segments within the solo female travel niche, but there are also many types of trips women who travel solo embark on.

Findings / Key Insights

• Age determines interest in activities when traveling; the younger the respondent the higher the interest in nightlife and adventure activities. The older the respondent the higher the interest in creative workshops, wellness and culinary activities. However, there is always a relevant percentage of respondents interested in activities generally associated with a different age group.

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Solo Female Travel Survey – Part III: Values, Accommodation Preferences and Interest in Retreats

Decision factors when choosing a travel provider have evolved in the last two decades from big international brands, travel agent recommendations and package deals to a more thoughtful and mindful decision process that looks beyond the surface and into the impact a travel company has on the environment, the local community and society.

Women traveling solo are interested in trips which have a positive impact, and they care about a travel provider’s offer beyond just price. In this section, we explore what motivates women to pick a business when planning a trip, their accommodation preferences when traveling solo, and we take a look into the recent trend in themed trips and retreats.

1. Price drives travel decisions, but so does a business’ eco-friendliness, its local or female ownership and its social impact; branding is unimportant

Gone are the days when travelers picked trips based on the brand who delivered them, in such a dispersed and fragmented market, women traveling solo value other elements when choosing a travel provider.

We see an increased interested in eco-friendliness and care for the environment and an awakening and increased interest among women traveling solo to support other female owned or female focused businesses. While this is still only mentioned by 18% as a decision factor when picking a travel provider, we believe that awareness is on the rise and this could become the next relevant trend, especially for solo female travelers and for the trips they may book for their families.

Findings / Key Insights

• Women also care about about a travel provider’s social impact and whether it participates in projects or contributes to charities that have a positive impact on the society they operate in.

• There are also elements that do not factor into solo female travelers decision and those are whether the brand is recognizable and whether the business has an affinity with them (same religion, same beliefs, same ethnicity).

• We see relevant importance (18%) placed on whether a business is female-owned, and expect this to be a growing trend as more women become aware of the female gap in the travel industry’s senior positions and their ability to have an impact.

2. Smaller and more personal accommodation options are preferred by solo female travelers

Women traveling solo favor accommodation options that are smaller and cozier. This is because there is value added in being at a small property where you are bound to receive a more personal treatment and where you may be dealing directly with the owner; women also feel an extra layer of safety.

Locally owned businesses have the added perk, as we have seen in the previous finding, of directly benefiting the community rather than an international company headquarters elsewhere. Solo travelers find it easier to make friends in a shared hostel environment frequented by other solo travelers. Hostels with female-only dorms address the safety concerns while providing affordable shared accommodation.

We see vast differences in preferences by age, disposable income and nationality.

Findings / Key Insights

• Hostels are particularly appealing to younger solo travelers, and accommodation preferences vary significantly by nationality; North Americans prefer local / independent hotels whereas Europeans prefer hostels and Asian favor B&Bs.

• Specialty accommodation options like villas, agrotourism, camping or caravaning, and couchsurfing are preferred by a small percentage of solo female travelers.

• Women prefer entire home rentals (23%) instead of rooms in a shared house (12%) for the extra privacy and safety they provide.

• There is a clear correlation between age and the type of accommodation that travelers prefer. Gen Z favor hostels whereas Boomers prefer boutique hotels and independent accommodation options (eg. apartment rentals). Gen X travelers are the most interested in international hotel chains.

3. 64% of solo female travelers are interested in themed travel or retreats

Women traveling solo are interested in enriching their experience with something more than mere sightseeing, and themed travel is a growing trend.

While traditional themed trips such as yoga retreats and active holidays (climbing, boxing, hiking, etc.) remain some of the most popular options, there are a range of areas women are interested in. We expect this area to continue to develop, especially towards female-focused and female-owned retreats.

Findings / Key Insights

• Age determines the kind of retreat women are interested in joining solo. Millennials are the most interested in retreats that focus on professional development and entrepreneurial skills, whereas Boomers are not interested in these type of trips at all. On the other hand, older women are most keen on health and wellness retreats, as are Gen X travelers.

• Interest also varies by nationality. Women from Africa and the Middle East are the least interested in themed travel while women from North America, Europe and the Pacific are the most interested.

Purchase the Full Reports (3 Reports Available)

For more detailed insights on the findings shared above, including breakdowns by geography, age, income level and travel experience, as well as actionable recommendations from respondents on how they can be better served, our full reports are available for purchase.

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How We Can Help You: Our Services

Are you looking to better tailor your offer to Solo Female Travelers? Do you want to better understand this segment to adapt your offer? Are you a hospitality leader who wants to train their team to be more aware of the needs and challenges of women who travel solo?

Reach out to us to discuss how we can help you with in-depth data or with our in-depth expertise.

Copyright Notice & Disclaimer

2021 Solo Female Travel Trends is a publication of Solo Female Travelers. Reproduction of this page / report without express permission is not allowed, except in the case of brief quotation. To quote or reference the survey results, it must be accompanied by a link back to this page as the original source.

This article contains information about Solo Female Travel. The information is not advice, and should not be treated as such. There are no representations or warranties, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or availability with respect to the information provided. We do not represent, warrant, undertake or guarantee that the use of guidance in the report will lead to any particular outcome or result. The authors do not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption due to use (or misuse) of information, conclusions and insights.