The results of statistical studies indicate that a new trend has emerged in the tourism sector in recent years - female solo travel. Psychologists point out that the interest of the fair sex in individual travel is caused by several reasons, including getting a unique experience and knowing oneself. However, despite the popularity of this type of tourism, the issue of ensuring safety is still relevant for such travelers. Therefore, not every country is suitable for solo female voyages.
Solitary Women's Tourism: Statistics and Origins
Of course, a new tourist trend did not appear overnight. To begin with, women have always been more active tourists than men. Simple statistics on ticket sales consistently showed the numerical advantage of female passengers both in Russia and abroad. In 2018, research by Nielsen noted an increase in the number of solo travelers among Russian women by 78%. Between 2011 and 2012, small hotels around the world announced that single women were 50% more likely to book rooms with them. As for the age of the greatest tourist activity, the leaders in this issue are the fairer sex of 25-39 years old, most of them have a permanent job.
Julia Roberts in Eat Pray Love
Naturally, the representatives of the tourism industry did not ignore the new trend. Around the world, there is a growing number of offers and services to help single travelers make their holidays more comfortable and safe. For example, one of the London hotels in the state has a female driver, who is often preferred by tourists. In Singapore, the Naumi hotel offers girls, if they wish, to settle on a special floor reserved for the weaker sex. In the Austrian capital, a popular hotel in the city center in gratitude for the stay gives discount coupons to shops located nearby.
Reese Witherspoon in the movie Wild
Some experts associate the origins of the new trend with the popular Hollywood film "Eat, Pray, Love", where the favorite of the female audience, actress Julia Roberts, was superbly played. Watching her heroine Elizabeth Gilbert travel the world in search of harmony, many ladies also got the idea to repeat this interesting experience. In support of the growing popularity of the hobby, the biopic Wild was released in 2014 with Reese Witherspoon in the title role. The film was filmed based on the memoirs of the writer Cheryl Strayed, who, under the influence of the death of her mother and the struggle with drug addiction, went on a solo trip along the Pacific coast of the United States of 1700 km. This adventurous undertaking not only helped her in the fight against psychological problems, but also taught her survival skills.
The benefits of traveling alone
Fortunately, not all women are encouraged to travel independently by severe psychological disorders. However, fighting depression is still seen as one of the reasons for traveling alone. Planning and anticipating a vacation is a lifesaver in itself, and the entertainment industry is setting an example by increasingly featuring characters from movies and TV shows who are experiencing difficult moments away from home. Therefore, it is not surprising that women, when problems arise, solve them by booking a hotel room and buying air tickets.
In addition, loneliness, according to the travelers themselves, helps them to better understand themselves, their desires, to determine the vector of further development. For this, it is important that no one interferes or distracts during the trip.
Also, the surveyed tourists highly appreciated independence from other people's desires. They did only what they wanted on the trip, not adjusting to the opinions of other people. In everyday life, a person can rarely afford such liberty. Therefore, women went on single trips, including for independence.
Expanding opportunities for communication is another reason voiced by solo tourism enthusiasts. On such trips, they made many new acquaintances, and also more easily overcome the congenital stiffness and stiffness, which in ordinary life prevented them from establishing contacts with people. Even introverts were forced out of their comfort zone by traveling alone, which was good for them.
And finally, being away from home, in the company of strangers, a person, according to experts, gets a unique opportunity to shed the masks and social roles that have become established for him in a familiar environment. Sounds tempting, doesn't it?
Precautions
The only, but very significant problem of single female tourism is the safety of the weaker sex in such trips. All experienced tourists treat this issue differently. Someone says that danger can lie in wait everywhere, even in the most calm and quiet, at first glance, country. Other girls advise all the same not to take risks and choose more reliable routes. By the way, according to the Forbes magazine, it is not recommended for women to travel alone to countries such as Turkey, Morocco, Jamaica, Ecuador, Egypt, Peru, and the Bahamas. Experienced tourists consider such ratings to be conditional, but nevertheless they advise novice travelers to observe some precautions:
- adhere to local clothing customs, avoiding excessive nudity where it is categorically unacceptable;
- just in case, take with you self-defense means (for example, pepper spray);
- bypass the infamous city districts;
- do not walk alone at night;
- in countries where single women are hostile, wear a ring on your ring finger;
- do not use the services of random carriers;
- think over your possible actions in case of force majeure (robbery, theft of documents);
- do not take expensive jewelry, gadgets, accessories on a trip, they can serve as bait for intruders;
- do not accept drinks or food from strangers;
- hide a small amount of cash in your personal belongings.
In fact, common sense and taking precautions are two main principles of successful solo travel, not related in any way to gender.
