The passion for travelling alone has increased among Indian women. According to a recent survey commissioned by Skyscanner, a global travel search engine, about 70 per cent of Indian women travelers have either gone on a solo trip or are planning one.
The survey, which studied the travel habits of Indian travelers, highlighted that 37 per cent of Indian women travelers have done a solo trip while 33 per cent are open to the idea of travelling solo.
“It feels amazing to travel solo. One gets to explore places according to his or her own wish. There is so much adventure in it. I am planning to go to Goa again during December. That place is so much lively.” said Adjrija, freelance writer and also an avid traveler.
“I am a travel writer and going to different places and meeting new people is what I love doing the most. I earlier had apprehensions about travelling alone but now I enjoy doing that without any worries. The stereotypical mindset is changing now particularly among girls,” she added.
Talking about the survey, Kavitha Gnanamurthy, senior marketing manager, Skyscanner India said, “It is encouraging to see that Indian women are increasingly breaking stereotypes and travelling alone. The results reveal that most of them prefer domestic destinations as much as overseas ones, and there is a huge potential for the travel and hospitality industry to tap into this growing segment. There is also an opportunity to further promote Indian destinations to solo travelers all over the world.” she added.
According to the survey, about 33 per cent of women travelers preferred a well-planned itinerary to avoid last-minute surprises, 26 per cent of respondents preferred a mix of planned and unplanned elements to explore new places in their chosen destination, 19 per cent of women were more comfortable planning their solo travel through trusted agents, while 16 per cent of respondents prefer to explore their chosen destination without a planned itinerary or tour.
Perhaps safety and security remain key barriers for women solo travelers all across the country.
About 31 per cent of women travelers avoid taking solo trips due to safety and security concerns across domestic and international travel.
Fear of boredom 23 per cent, family disagreements (13 per cent) and leave from work (8 per cent) were contributing factors to barriers to solo travel.
Interestingly, it is revealed that domestic destinations remain as attractive as international ones amongst Indian women solo travelers.
The most preferred one is the capital city with its amalgamation of various cultures and traditions as well as historic value.
This is followed by Mumbai, Goa, Bangalore and Kolkata among others.
RELATED STORY
Solo travel offers unique perspective for women