Women are increasingly travelling alone, especially on small group tours, as this demographic has more freedom now than ever before.
A Booking.com study in 2024 found that 54% of women are planning on travelling alone, while a 2024 Hostelworld report estimated that 60% of solo travellers were female. Added to this, a study by the Solo Female Travelers Club, says searches for the term ‘solo female travel’ increased threefold during the four years preceding the beginning of the 2019 pandemic, and surpassing the Jan 2020 peak in early 2024. Locally, travel agents are also seeing more Kiwi women ditch their partners and children and take to the skies solo. House of Travel’s Paula Watson, head of long-haul and supplier partnerships, says HoT is seeing an increased demand in women travelling alone, especially those aged 55+ who are empty nesters. “With the kids having left home, these women finally have the time and opportunity to travel.” Also contributing to the trend, says Watson, is the fact that many are now financially independent and have the freedom to see the world on their own terms. “Some are travelling solo, and reports show they are leaving their husband or significant other at home because they don’t want to explore the same countries as their partner, who is often happy to stay home.”
. . . Where To?
Destinations proving popular for Kiwi women going it alone include countries like Morocco, Turkey, and Vietnam, says Watson, along with destinations across Western Europe. It is small group tours that are the go-to for this demographic, with Watson saying they want the travel admin taken care of, along with the security of travelling with a reputable company. Most small group touring companies have a large percentage of their tours departing with woman over 55+ on them, explains Watson, adding that some tour companies are responding by offering women-only tours.
