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Are travel providers and sellers overlooking opportunity to embrace female audience?? Following International Women’s Day last Friday and its theme of ‘Inspire Inclusion’, WayAway releases new a new study about who is actually buying travel. SPOILER: it's women!
Recent WayAway survey of 2,477 female travellers in the United States revealed that 82% of travel decisions are made by women.
Following a recent survey of 2,477 statistically relevant female travelers in the United States, results showed that 82% of travel decisions are made by women – with only 10% saying that their partner planned the whole trip. This matches other previous studies revealing the importance of females in the trip planning phase that is not reflected in how the travel industry creates and markets travel products.
Meanwhile the results of the survey from WayAway, provide more insight into the types of holidays females take, revealing that half of them traveled at least once last year with children and / or their partner, whilst only 29% travelled alone.
50% of the women traveled with children or a partner
29% traveled alone
Whilst a majority report positive travel experiences, nonetheless 17% reported not having enough time to themselves and, more worryingly, 13% said they now needed another vacation to recover – and 8% said they did not include any activities for themselves during their holiday.
13% of women said they now needed another vacation to recover
8% of women said they did not include activities for themselves
Janis Dzenis, Director of Communications for WayAway shared his opinion with hertelier based on the findings, “The current range of travel services and search & booking tools available to women do not ‘inspire inclusion’ – the International Women’s Day theme for 2024 – in any way. There’s an economic as well as a moral case for targeting female travelers here that almost our whole industry is ignoring."
“Equally it seems that the whole concept of holiday and relaxation – certainly in a family environment – seems to be somewhat unequal for women with 13% saying they need another holiday at the end and 8% not getting to include activities for themselves. I don’t think we need to survey the guys to find out they have a rather different experience!"
Janis highlights the opportunity, "Travel service providers, tour operators and travel intermediaries should be thinking about how to create products that ensure female travellers, particularly those travelling with children, are able to have a more equitable experience. That’s not an easy task, we know, but right now we don’t see anyone trying to fulfil what would seem, on the surface at least, to be more than just a niche.”