Research released for International Women’s Day (March 8) shows that more women want to travel alone – and learning about new places is a key driver.
Travel and entertainment website Culture Trip surveyed 10,500 respondents in the UK and US and found “a significant uplift in interest in solo travel”.
One in seven (14%) women said they had travelled on their own in the past five years, and more than a third of women (34%) are interested in travelling solo in the near future.
Google Trends figures show that the number of people showing an interest in solo female travel has increased by 131% over the past two years.
Top of the wishlist for solo women travellers are places of natural beauty (82%), city breaks (81%), historic landmarks (78%), and road trips (73%).
The majority of women who have taken a solo trip in the past five years (93%) say they want to educate themselves and learn new things, and 74% cited wanting to explore different worldviews, beliefs and cultures.
Interest in solo travel is highest among those aged 18 to 24 (41%), with those working in education (13%) the most likely of any profession to travel solo.
Jillian Anthony, editor at Culture Trip, said: “More women than ever before are taking the leap to travel solo.
“Our research shows that women are independent adventure seekers — and they are travelling to learn, grow and enrich their lives.”
Culture Trip publishes more than 1,600 articles every month on art, fashion, culture, sports, technology, travel and wellness.
It has compiled a list of 11 destinations ideal for solo female travellers, using figures from its site and editorial expertise.
The top destination is Seoul, followed by Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Kyoto, Cartagena, Auckland, Warsaw, Rio, Berlin, Montreal and Accra.
Pictured: Bongeunsa Temple in Seoul, South Korea.