Single or married, young or aged, on a business trip or on a dream vacation, more women are travelling alone instead of taking their families in tow. Even those opting for guided vacations are mostly choosing like-minded women-only groups.
A recent survey says that there has been a marked change in travel trends across the country. Female travellers are now an increasingly important segment of the Indian travel market, for both leisure and business travel, and the country's travel industry is just waking up to that fact.
"With women climbing the corporate ladder and becoming more independent, travel is becoming an intrinsic part of their lives. Also, only-women travel groups offering interesting holiday destinations and packages are luring women to take up travel. Our survey indicates 26% women travel with their girl gangs to explore new places," said an official.
More than 550 women aged between 25 and 45 and hailing from different metros across the country, took part in the online survey.
At present, women-only travellers don't form too large a segment of India's travel market but the concept of vacationing away from one's family (to say nothing of business travel) is catching up fast. As per a holiday operator, there has been 22% rise in bookings by women's groups and single travellers in India between October 2013 and February 2014, compared to last year.
While women now account for more than 23% of business travellers (both domestic and outbound), the number will grow significantly in the near future, with the rise in the number of women in mid-senior executive ranks where business travel is a necessity. Over the next 20 years, international business travel by Indian women could grow almost tenfold to more than 10 million annual business departures, according to industry estimates.
Group travel by women is also gaining in popularity, thanks to a growing number of social clubs offering secure and affordable women-only tours. The bottom line is quite simple here. In a fast-moving life ruled by many priorities, one is not always able to travel with friends, family or relatives. But that should not hinder a woman from travelling at her convenience, to the destination of her choice.
The survey has delved deep into women's way of travelling and the comfort factors they look for. Here are the key findings when it comes to women wanting to travel safe and solo.
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