New Delhi: According to the Solo women traveller survey 2013 conducted by TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel site, 84 percent women claimed to have travelled alone for leisure, business or both. The survey undertaken among 500 female respondents is a mix of working women including a number of self employed, as well as homemakers. The survey also brings to light the disturbing fact that 94 percent of the female respondents worry about their safety, always or at least sometimes, when they travel alone within India.
According to Nikhil Ganju (Country Manager, TripAdvisor India), “The rise in women travelling alone on business is an understandable fallout of the increase in the number of working women. The real surprise is the significant number of Indian women who are choosing to travel solo on vacation. ”
“Another interesting insight that highlights a latent opportunity for the hospitality sector is that 78 percent respondents said they would prefer to stay in an all women’s hotel or on a women exclusive floor in a hotel, when travelling alone.” he added
Loving solo: Adventurous Indian women don’t need a Chaperone:
It’s a break from tradition as Indian women seek adventure and experience and are confident, enthused and eager to travel on their own terms.
Among women that travel alone, 41 percent respondents said they actually enjoyed travelling alone for work. To add to that, a whopping 76 percent said they enjoy going solo on holiday.
And lack of company is definitely not a complaint. In fact , majority of the respondents in the survey (58 percent) said their biggest incentive for solo vacations was that they could do all the things they want without having to worry about what someone else wants. 34 percent women indicated they loved travelling alone as it was adventurous and exciting. Another 32 percent claimed the thrill of managing everything by themselves was a motivator as well.
Also Read: Safety of Women: India vs U.S.
