September 8, 2024
International travel is booming since the pandemic ended, and solo women travelling in small groups is one of the biggest growth areas.
Full disclosure: in 2025, I’m joining LTR to host luxury tours for women to the bucket-list destinations of India, Peru and Chile, and Southern Africa.
It’s a new industry for me, so I did a bit of digging into this new trend of small group travel for women, and found some surprising facts.
First of all - women dominate the travel market. In the same way that 80 percent of car purchases and family home purchases are decided by women, they also make the overwhelming majority of travel bookings.
Flight Centre says its typical clients are adventurous women in their 40s and 50s travelling alone. Webjet and Expedia report big increases in solo trips, mostly by women.
So what’s driving all this? I asked LTR’s Oscar van Elten why women-only group tours are so popular, and he said two of the key reasons were personal safety and shared experiences.
“Women often find it easier to bond and connect with other women, leading to more meaningful and enjoyable travel experiences,” he said.
“Something magical happens when a small group of women travel together to discover a unique destination - sharing their stories, the laughter, making memories and lasting friendships.”
van Elten says that all-women travel groups also foster a sense of independence and empowerment, giving women the confidence to step outside their comfort zone in a supportive environment.
As a member of the key demographic here, I have my own theories.
Being with other women in a joint enterprise is, first and foremost, a lot of fun. I’ve worked with a lot of female-only professional groups, and the energy is completely different from mixed-gender groups.
Away from men, women tend to let loose - sharing confidences, laughing loudly and confidently voicing their opinions. In mixed groups, they’re a lot quieter.
So it strikes me that women-only group travel is an extension of that freedom to be their authentic selves and step away from the confines of their traditional roles. It’s also a rare opportunity for women not to be the default organiser and Compromiser-in-Chief.
van Elten agrees. “Travelling without family or partners can provide a break from everyday responsibilities, and allow women to focus on personal growth and relaxation.”
The research backs that up. 81 percent of women solo travellers in one large survey said getting away from routine and responsibilities was one of their motivations.
The other question I pondered was: why is this market booming now? The research seems to indicate a generational trend, with today’s women enjoying more financial and personal freedom than their mothers did.
The bulk of solo female travellers are GenX. Younger Boomers aren’t far behind. These were the first women to enter the workforce en masse in the 80s and 90s, so they have a lifetime of working and saving behind them.
Of course, there are myriad reasons why women travel solo. They may be single, widowed, separated or divorced. Their partner may have health problems or not be interested in certain destinations. Their friends may be too busy to travel at the same time.
Or it may be (and here’s my main theory) that for women, mid-life is usually a time of huge transformation. After decades of toiling at their careers, raising children and caring for elders, women eventually get to a point where they realise: “It’s my time now.”
Breaking free, having adventures, exploring who they are and how they want to spend the rest of their life is part of that mid-life transformation. The hard yards are largely behind them, and they’re still young enough to enjoy the years ahead.
It’s an incredibly exciting time of life for women - so it’s no wonder so many of us are flying solo.
Luxury travel host: LUXE Travel for Women 2025 - Journeys with Juanita Phillips MC, Journalist, broadcaster, author, speaker, facilitator. Ex-ABC, CNN, BBC, Ten Network.