Female solo travel is on the rise in Southeast Asia, according to the Women’s Travel Survey by TripAdvisor that was launched ahead of before International Women’s Day (March 8).
Freedom of doing whatever they want is one of the reasons for Southeast Asian women to travel solo. (Image credit: colematt/)
The survey of 9,181 female travellers globally and 431 in Southeast Asia. reveals that 48% of women in Southeast Asia said they have travelled alone before, compared to 36% in 2014.
Solo travel is on the cards for three in four women in Southeast Asia, with 47% planning at least two to four solo holidays this year.
The report also states the majority of the women in Southeast Asia 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 was stated as priority.
The 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%).
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”.
Bali is one of the favourite destinations for solo female travellers. (Image credit: chrishowey/iStock)
Of those who travel alone, 79% of women in Southeast Asia are planning to travel solo within Asia, followed by Europe (41%) and North America (14%).
The most popular Asian destinations for solo female travellers were Bangkok (Thailand), Singapore, Siem Reap (Cambodia), Bali (Indonesia) and Hong Kong.
The most favoured long haul destinations in the same survey were London, Paris (France), New York (US), Rome (Italy) and Barcelona (Spain).
• 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).
