Women travellers – The major growth drivers for the travel industry

With travel becoming a more desired element that Indians look forward to, the numbers of travellers setting out to a multitude of destinations have increased exponentially. Women travel groups & solo travel is rapidly gaining popularity amongst women travellers where Indian women prefer leisure, wellness breaks, shopping getaways,  adventure trips, signifying a transformation in the women’s travel segment. Today’s women travellers are bold, independent and looking to explore new and authentic experiences by venturing outside their comfort zones, willing to experiment more with destinations, experiences, and activities.

According to the SOTC India Holiday Report (IHR), 59% of Indians take at least one international holiday and 92% of Indians take at least one domestic holiday each year. There is a greater demand for holidays to relax and take a short break as 72% of Gen Z, 73% of Gen Y, 62% of Gen X and 62% of senior citizen travellers chose relaxation as their reason to go on holiday. 53% of Gen Z, 59% of Gen Y, 50% of Gen X and 32% of senior citizen travellers chose taking short breaks as their reasons to go on holiday. There is also a shift in holiday behaviour observed where travellers are seeking unique local experiences like workshops, personalised tours, helicopter or hot air balloon rides and more. The new age Indian women are eager to explore a variety of destinations according to their preferences. While sightseeing is a priority for them all, they also wish to explore a multitude of activities that help them gain unique experiences and even new skills. SOTC Travel describes the various emerging archetypes for women as:

Solo travellers:

In recent years, the concept of solo travel has emerged as one of the biggest trends in the travel and tourism sphere. Women have taken to this trend with great enthusiasm, and are reportedly making more plans to go to their choice of destination, alone. Solo travel empowers women to make their own choices and enjoy experiences that are preferred by them. These can belong to a variety of genres like adventure, wellness, shopping, luxury, sustainable tourism and more. Thus, there is an increased demand for spa visits, guided local shopping tours, vocational workshops and more. From experiencing the Northern Lights, grape crushing festivals, visiting local workshops and indulge in shopping getaways.

Group travellers:

According to the SOTC IHR, spending time with friends and family is one of the top reasons to take a holiday This has led to the rise in popularity for group travel for women, who choose to go on holiday with a group of friends to a variety of destinations, and for varied time periods. This can be for a multitude of reasons which include celebration of birthdays, personal and professional milestones, bachelorette parties and more. These groups of women travellers enjoy partaking in a range of experiential activities especially in the adventure segment, which include trekking, camping, snorkelling, rafting and more. These travellers enjoy the experience of adventure driven activities like surfing, wildlife safaris, etc.

Bleisure travellers:

Women are breaking the glass ceiling every day, and are establishing their place in the professional world. This makes many women travel for their work, multiple times in the year. Many women now convert these professional trips into mini-holidays, taking the time to explore local experiences after work. Instead of sitting in their hotel rooms, they prefer sampling the local cuisine, check out famous sights, or even rent a vehicle to discover hidden gems all over the destination. They can enjoy, taking salsa classes, visiting wineries and beautiful villages, spa vacations, attending music festivals, etc.  

Volunteer Travellers:

Many women support a number of social causes, and choose to make efforts beyond the monetary kind. For this, they travel to areas that are in need of support, to help in whatever way they can. This is called volunteer travel and women are increasingly becoming motivated to make efforts for the well-being of society and the world at large. Educating the local people and helping in organising local farmers’ market, propagating sustainable and eco-friendly travel and more.

Women today are making travel a higher priority, and are eager to explore different types of holidays. An emerging trend in women-centric for all archetypes travel is that of cruise trips. With more cruise companies offering their services through attractive packages, many women are setting their sights to the seas. Another trend that is gaining considerable traction is that of alternative accommodation. Many women wish to step away from the traditional accommodation avenues like hotels, and instead, explore a variety of avenues which include igloo stays, castle stays, eco-friendly stays, home stays, youth hostels and more.  

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