Southeast Asian women are taking an increasing number of solo trips, a new study has found.
Launching the results of its new Women’s Travel Survey to coincide with International Women’s Day, TripAdvisor revealed that 47% of female Southeast Asian travellers are planning between two and four solo holidays this year.
The report also found that 48% of women in Southeast Asia have travelled alone before, compared to 36% in 2014. And more than three quarters (79%) of the respondents said they are planning a solo trip in future – higher than the global average of 74%.
Globally, Germany and France (91%) have the highest proportion on of women planning to travel alone this year, ahead of Australia and the UK (81%). Southeast Asia (79%) is the third strongest region for solo female travel, while Russian (65%) and American (63%) women are less likely to travel alone.
The majority (60%) of the women in Southeast Asia say they travel alone because it gives them the freedom to do whatever they want, while 45% like the challenge. And of those who have travelled alone, 62% said it made them more independent and self-reliant, while 39% said it boosted their confidence.
But Southeast Asian women do take precautions when travelling solo; 71% said they avoid going out late at night while 55% avoid quiet streets.
In terms of destinations, Bangkok topped the Asian list for global female solo travellers, ahead of Singapore, Siem Reap, Bali and Hong Kong. Globally, London was the most popular destination, with Paris, New York, Rome and Barcelona completing the top five. Sixty-five percent of respondents said they prefer to stay in independent or boutique hotels.
The TripAdvisor survey was conducted in February 2015 and gathered the views of 9,181 female respondents.
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