Ahead of International Women’s Day, TripAdvisor™, the world’s largest travel site, has launched its Women’s Travel Survey of 9,181 female respondents globally and 431 female respondents in Southeast Asia¹. The findings reveal that solo travel is on the rise with 48 per cent of women in Southeast Asia who say that they have travelled alone before, compared to 36 per cent in 2014. 

Solo travel on the cards for three in four women in Southeast Asia

Of those who said they travel alone, 79 per cent of women in Southeast Asia say they are planning to travel alone this year, higher than the global average of 74 per cent. In fact, almost half of the women in Southeast Asia surveyed (47%) are planning two to four solo trips this year.

Majority of the women in Southeast Asia say that they travel alone because it gives them the freedom of doing whatever they want (60%), they like the independence and challenge of travelling on their own (45%) and their family or friends do not have the time or resource to travel with them (32%).

Travelling alone has helped them to be more independent and self-reliant (62%), to be more confident (39%) and to learn something about others or other cultures (38%).

When asked about the precautions Southeast Asian women take when travelling alone, safety is the best policy. Majority of women avoid going out late at night (71%), avoid quiet streets (55%) and avoid behaving like a tourist (42%). They also want to feel safe with their choice of accommodation (65%) with independent or boutique hotels the most popular choice when travelling on their own (62%). 

Supporting the results of the survey, TripAdvisor travellers have also contributed similar safety tips for female solo travellers in the TripAdvisor Travel Forums, including “being aware of your surroundings”, “dressing modestly” and “being careful who you talk to and never divulge too much personal information”.

Asia top of the list

Seventy-seven per cent of women in Southeast Asia are planning to travel alone within Asia, followed by Europe (41%) and North America (14%). According to TripAdvisor reviews by solo female travellers globally, the top Asian and long-haul destinations² are:

Popular women’s getaways get luxurious

In addition to solo travel, women’s getaways are popular amongst Southeast Asian women with 66 per cent saying they have been on such trips because “they want to re-connect with their friends” (68%) and “they enjoy visiting and doing the same things on holiday” (64%). Taking a break from family life is the third most cited reason for women’s getaways (29%). Women in Southeast Asia are also seeking luxurious holidays with close to half (47%) of the respondents admit that they indulge themselves by staying in private villas (50%), going to an international or exotic location (49%), or going for customised tours and experiences with their female counterparts (44%).

Hotel reviews influence female travel bookings

When it comes to researching  the hotels they book for their holidays, Southeast Asian women are a savvy bunch with the most popular method being reading online hotel reviews (94%), followed by comparing hotel prices from travel websites (62%) and researching hotel websites (47%).

Good user reviews (86%) are the biggest influence on their choice of hotels, followed by best value (68%) and convenience (60%).  

“Women from Asia to America are fulfilling their wanderlust by planning and booking their holidays whenever they want, however they want and with whomever they want,” said Cindy Tan, Vice President, APAC at TripAdvisor. “Whether female travellers are travelling alone or in a group, TripAdvisor has hotel and flight deals for every budget, travel style and need.”

¹ The survey was conducted in February 2015 with 9,181 female respondents globally in Australia, US, UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Russia and Southeast Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand).

² Based on the top reviewed destinations by global solo female travellers on TripAdvisor.  

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