Women and Travel

For my design sprint project in ECON 325, my group and I looked at the solo female traveling market in the U.S. Although solo traveling may seem to be male-dominated on the surface, female solo travel in the United States has become increasingly popular as the years have progressed. In fact, American women are ranked first for solo traveling and are more likely to take at least three trips in a given year. Why might this be? According to the Solo Traveler World, 46% of women said: "they travel alone for freedom, independence, and the chance to do what they want, when they want." Additionally, with an increase of globalization and interconnectedness through travel apps and social media, more women have the necessary tools to travel alone safely. From women’s travel groups to safety travel blogs, solo traveling is becoming easier for women. This is reflected in the 230% increase in the number of women-only travel companies in the past six years according to travel expert Marybeth Bond. Although COVID-19 has impacted many of the trends observed, there is still substantial evidence of market increases in the future.