2018 is set to be the year when more female travellers will dare to embark on an adventure by themselves. After a dreary beginning to the year for feminism, women are feeling more empowered than ever and this is reflected in the tourism industry.

 

This trend isn’t new. The marketing firm MMGY reported that one in four people will be travelling alone this year. Google Trends announced that the number of searches for “solo travel” has increased by 40%, with “female solo travel” leading the rankings.

 

“Travelling solo, whether you are a man or a woman, has become a trend pushed by the rise of the “single” status and the vanishing of taboos related to making plans without a partner,” adds David Moralejo, editor-in-chief of the Spanish edition of Condé Nast Traveler.

 

Women are running the independent travel trend. According to a recent survey by Booking.com, 65% of American women are choosing to travel without a companion. Nearly three quarters of travel agents are saying that more females compared to men are travelling solo, notes top blogger Marybeth Bond on her webpage “The Gutsy Traveler”.   

 

What is encouraging them to follow this craze? A poll carried out by the Solo Travel Society this year shows that just under half of their female members did it because of the flexibility to choose their own itinerary, and the feeling of freedom and independence that the experience provided them. Moreover, 22% said they did not want their partners’ agenda to stop them from travelling, and 15% chose to travel solo to leave their comfort zone and build their personal confidence.

 

Gaby Galvin, 22, was on a year abroad in Australia when she decided to trek around Europe by herself: “I got the travel bug and none of my friends could meet me, so I just decided that I did not want to let that stop me. I am not going to wait around for someone to do it with me. Not just in terms of travel, but life in general.”

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