Posted on Monday, 25 February 2019

Historically, the notion of the intrepid solo traveller has been dominated by men. But as women have gained new freedoms and more money over the last 50 years, many have embraced travelling alone. And there are many other reasons why women are striking out by themselves - as anecdotally evidenced by the many females on Instagram, snapping themselves in front of Balinese temples, Alpine mountains and Asian metropolises.

According to one piece of Hitwise data, 55 per cent of solo travel searches in the UK are made by women - the largest group being 25 to 34-years-olds from London. Across the pond it's a similar story - one Booking.com survey in 2014 revealed 72 per cent of US women like to travel by themselves.

More than just a holiday

Today, women have the spare time and funds to undertake trips that their grandmothers couldn't conceive of. Added to this, air travel has grown exponentially and the Internet has made travel easy to arrange; zipping off for a two-week yoga retreat in Bali and many other experiences are within the grasp of many. But while access is a huge factor, there is more at play.

Women are spending more money than ever on self-care, with travel becoming a route to self-actualisation, rather than simply a break from the stresses of modern life. US tech firm Shine revealed 72 per cent of millennial women are shifting focus from financial and physical goals towards mental health and self-care.

Changing perceptions

At first glance, there appears to have been precious few 'poster girls' for sole female travel, but a rummage among the history books reveals some notable exceptions. In 381 AD a woman named Egeria scaled Mount Sinai having made a pilgrimage from Europe - and she wrote about her experiences.

Much later, in 1890, journalist Nellie Bly travelled the world and wrote Around the World in Seventy-Two Days, inspired by the famous fictional account of a similar name. Another intrepid female around this time was Freya Stark, who explored the Middle East - including Afghanistan - in the 1890s.

Travel as a cure

More modern female travel writers have often used travel as a kind of self-healing after a traumatic or life-changing event - such as Cheryl Strayed, who hiked the 1,100-mile Pacific Crest Trail prompted by her mother's death and her own heroin use. Even the popular Eat Love Pray was inspired by a woman dealing with her divorce and unsuccessful rebound affair.

These examples remind us that travel is often used as a way to deal with heartbreak or life challenges - by men as well as women.

The fact that women marry and have children later than in previous decades has also made time for travel - and rising female salaries have paid for it. The notion of a woman taking a holiday by herself is no longer exceptional, gender roles having been blurred significantly since the 1960s.

Travelling solo for the first time

Solo women travellers face particular challenges that males do not (or at least, not as much) - the threat of sexual harassment being a key one. However, this hasn't prevented many women from enjoying travel by themselves. Besides, the fear of being alone or being unable to connect with others can be a deeper concern.

But the process of going it alone nearly always invites new friendships and experiences - in a way that travelling in a couple or a group simply cannot. Travelling alone can usher in a new perspective on life, helping us grow emotionally and spiritually - benefits that the modern woman is embracing more than ever.

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