[G] Nicole Wineland-Thomson, part of the mother-daughter team behind AdventureWomen, believes the rise in solo travel has fueled the recent growth. And since safety is a factor for many women, she notes it can be appealing to book with a company dedicated to that market.
[H] Options for women continue to grow, with boutique tour companies now serving everyone from plus-size hikers to lesbian travelers. “Society-wide, we’re working toward removing limitations for women, and travel is just one subsection of that,” says Kelly Lewis, who founded Damesly in 2016 to fill what she saw as a gap in the women’s travel space—pairing creative pursuits with wanderlust. “There are so many new avenues for women to travel the world.”
[I] From the mountains of Morocco to the women-only beaches of Turkey, globetrotting women find meaningful experiences in a wide variety of places. In many parts of the world, taking men out of the equation expands opportunities for women travelers. In 2018, Australian-based Intrepid Travel launched expeditions that would be exclusive of male travellers. Think mingling with locals in a beauty salon in Iran and swimming on a ladies-only beach in Antalya, Turkey.
[J] “When women are together, there are no traditional gender roles anymore. Women just get it, and they get each other,” says Wineland-Thomson. “When you bring in another culture to this environment, women are really ready to open up.” Across the board, these trips give priority to support for local women. AdventureWomen’s new Cuba route features artists and women-run restaurants in Havana. Wild Terrains trips spotlight female entrepreneurs, such as jewelry designers in Mexico and winemakers in Portugal. Damesly’s new journey to Uzbekistan includes face time with the female founder of a Tashkent fashion enterprise.
[K] On the adventure circuit, WHOA Travel invites a local woman to join its signature climbs up Mount Kilimanjaro, all expenses paid. “We want to help shift the perspective of what a woman may have the potential to do,” says co-founder Allison Fleece. Tour companies like hers are built on the concept that women often shine brightest—and let down their guard—in a community of women.
[L] In places like Peru, women-owned tour companies encourage local women to take unconventional career paths, such as leading treks along the Inca Trail. The rise in female-focused tours means women have more influence in the industry. That translates favorably to more jobs for women on the ground. Wild Women Expeditions commits to hiring local women to lead its globe-spanning trips, an effort that has brought Morocco its first woman mountain guide. In Peru, the company hires female porters to assist with Inca Trail treks and goes a step further with training programs that empower Peruvian women to pursue this unconventional career path they never have chance to try out in the past years.
[M] For some, giving women leading roles in the travel industry is a type of grassroots feminism. After surviving domestic violence, traveler Rocio Vazquez Landeta launched Eat Like a Local walking tours in Mexico City and made the decision to employ women only. “It’s my way of taking a stand against prejudices on women,” she says. “As a woman in a powerful position, it is my responsibility to create better opportunities for other women.”