More Women in India Opting for Solo Travel: Report

More women travelers in India are looking at making a solo journey, and are making travel plans for themselves, shows a recent report.

At least 22 per cent more women in India are opting for international trips, according to travel website Cleartrip. In an infographic titled Women and Wanderlust, the travel company said that 75 per cent travel bookings made by women were for solo travel.

Most visited vacation spots by solo Indian women travelers in 2017 were Dubai, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, London, Kathmandu, Colombo, Denpasar, Sharjah, and New York, according to the company.

A marked increase has been observed in solo travel among women, the data suggests. Better purchasing power and independent lives have propelled women to be more active decision-makers when making travel plans.

The data from the travel agency also suggests that there is a growing popularity of cellphone as a preferred medium to search and make travel bookings online. As many as 40-45 per cent women were using mobiles to make bookings while 30-35 per cent used the desktop.

“With more women becoming financially independent and income levels rising, the concept of solo travel is increasingly gaining traction. International travel has become affordable and accessible for Indians, prompting a large number of women to travel abroad on their own,” Balu Ramachandran, head of air and distribution, Cleartrip, said, according to ANI.

“Also, the overall connectivity has drastically improved and internet penetration is higher than ever. The proliferation of smart devices and greater social media exposure is allowing more women to discover new destinations and travel experiences, and set off on their own,” Ramachandran added.

Travel-related searches online by women have grown two-fold. Most of the travel-related searches from women came from tier-1 cities such as New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Chennai. However, at least 40 per cent travel searches by women came from tier-2 cities like Ahmedabad, Indore, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Jaipur and Patna.

Most visited domestic destinations by solo female travelers in 2017 were Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, and Pune followed by leisure destinations such as Goa, Kochi, Jaipur, Guwahati, Vizag, and Thiruvananthapuram.

South Korea and Iceland are gaining prominence among solo female travelers because of the safety of the cities and the fun factor, according to Sharat Dhall, COO of another travel company, Yatra.com. There has been a rise not only in solo women travelers but also in women-only groups, he added, India Today reported.